AFTER THE RESOUNDING success that was the 2024 Olympics, it appears Australia is on the verge of yet another sporting golden age. We say ‘yet another’ because the nation has hardly been doing it tough in terms of sporting success to this point. Sure, London 2012 and Rio 2016 were lulls, but Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 have put Australia right back on the international sporting map.
Australian athletes returned from Paris last month with their greatest ever gold medal haul. With an achievement like that, you would usually expect a nation’s production of world-class athletes to be peaking, but by all metrics, Australia is only just getting started.
The swim team is at its strongest in more than 70 years. Track and field is no longer a weak point. The addition of urban sports like skateboarding, surfing and BMX riding has only boosted our medal opportunities. And now more than ever, Australian basketballers and footballers are joining the big-money overseas leagues. Let’s not forget, Brisbane is also hosting the 2032 Olympics, and you don’t need us to tell you that countries typically ramp up their performances when playing host.
Yes, it looks like Australia’s next sporting golden age is truly upon us. But let’s not forget, we now have a four year wait until the next summer Olympics, and an eight year wait for Brisbane 2032. Most of the future gold medal winners haven’t quite announced themselves yet, but we’ve still taken notice. These are the 23 Australian athletes under the age of 23 with the brightest futures.
Flynn Southam
INSTAGRAM | @flynn_southam
Sport: Swimming
He largely laid in waiting in Paris, but assuredly, Flynn Southam was there amongst the illustrious Australian swim team – and he picked up a pair of medals at only 19 years of age. Southam was part of the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams that won silver and bronze in Paris. He didn’t qualify for any individual events as he was buried behind some world class competition at the Australian swimming trials, but it won’t be long before the 19-year-old overtakes his rivals. Southam became the junior world champion in the 200m freestyle in 2023 – an accomplishment that usually heralds a future of Olympic success.
Nestory Irankunda
INSTAGRAM | @nestory._
Sport: Football
Australia’s men’s footballing golden generation peaked in the 2000s, but Nestory Irankunda is the most exciting Aussie prospect the nation has produced since. The Adelaide United product was born in Tanzania and in addition to Australia, he’s eligible to represent his country of birth and Burundi – and he still might unless Graham Arnold gets his act together. Irankunda was a class above the A-League, dominating the tier as a teenager. His talents were enough to secure him a move to Germany with Bayern Munich, where he’s scored two goals in two games for the side’s second team. Irankunda made his debut for the Socceroos earlier this year and at 18 years old, is the team’s second youngest ever goalscorer.
Torrie Lewis
INSTAGRAM | @_torrielewis_
Sport: Athletics
It’s rare that a 19-year-old will hold a national record in the 100-metre sprint, but then again, Australia doesn’t have the most star-studded history in the event. Nevertheless, Torrie Lewis’ time of 11.10 seconds is the fastest ever recorded by an Australian woman, and you’d have to think she’s going to continue to break that record as her talent progresses. Lewis drew international attention earlier this year when she won a 200-metre race in the Diamond League, defeating track stars like Sha’Carri Richardson to do it.
Mary Fowler
Sport: Football
She’s already been a household name for quite some time now, but we expect Mary Fowler’s star to continue to rise as she gains more experience and establishes herself as the face of the Matildas. Still only 21, Fowler has already made more than 50 appearances for the national team and tallied 15 goals. A natural playmaker, she possesses supreme field vision and a precision strike. It won’t be long before Fowler cements herself as one of the world’s best.
Gout Gout
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Sport: Athletics
By now, we’ve all seen that viral video of 16-year-old Gout Gout blitzing his opponents at the Queensland athletics championships, right? In case you missed it, Gout won the race by a wide margin and he’s already being touted as Australia’s first great sprinter in quite some time. His 100m personal best of 10.29 seconds is only half a second off Noah Lyles’ gold medal-winning time, and Gout is only 16. He’ll only get faster.
Jade Melbourne
INSTAGRAM | @jade.melbourne
Sport: Basketball
Since losing Lauren Jackson to retirement multiple times and gaining her back multiple times, while also sending Liz Cambage to the bleachers, the Opals have been searching for their new identity. But after a bronze medal-winning performance in Paris – the team’s first medal since London 2012 – it appears they’ve found it, and it revolves around point guard Jade Melbourne. A capable shooter, passer and two-way player, Melbourne has few weaknesses to her game. Having just turned 22, she still has room to grow and will have hit her prime by LA 2028.
Peyton Craig
INSTAGRAM | @peytoncraig_
Sport: Athletics
Peyton Craig burst onto the scene in Paris by finishing third in his 800m heat to progress straight into the semifinals. There, he could only manage a sixth-placed finish, but his time would’ve been fast enough to win either of the other two semifinals. Still only 19, Craig will have a shot at a junior world title when he races at the under-20 athletics world championships this month.
Mollie O’Callaghan
Sport: Swimming
An athlete who needs no introduction, it’s hard to believe that Mollie O’Callaghan is still only 20. She already has eight Olympic medals under her belt – five of which are gold – and she upset Ariarne Titmus in the 200m freestyle to win gold in what will long be remembered as one of the best Olympic races we’ve ever seen. The sky truly is the limit for O’Callaghan, who will only be 28 during Brisbane 2032. Becoming Australia’s all-time leading medallist seems inevitable.
Josh Giddey
INSTAGRAM | @australianboomers
Sport: Basketball
Despite a much-written about off-court debacle and a disappointing third NBA season that ultimately saw him traded to the Chicago Bulls, Josh Giddey remains the most exciting basketball prospect Australia has produced in some time – with the possible exception of Ben Simmons, but we all know how that’s going. Giddey established himself as the focal point of the Boomers’ offence in Paris with his elite passing, improved shooting and ability to create with the ball in his hands. At 21, he’ll be the face of the Boomers for years to come, with an almost entirely new supporting cast from LA 2028 onwards.
Molly Picklum
INSTAGRAM | @picklummolly
Sport: Surfing
At 21 years of age, Molly Picklum is already one of the world’s best surfers. She’s won two championship events on the WSL tour (both at Sunset Beach in Hawaii) and she’s just qualified for the WSL finals for the second consecutive year. Women’s surfing’s next generation is currently in the midst of unseating the old one, with seven of the top nine surfers in the current WSL rankings aged 24 or younger, while the entire top four is under 24. World number one Caitlyn Simmers is also only 18, so if she’s going to win a world championship, Picklum won’t be able to rely on her opponents ageing out of competitiveness.
Dyson Daniels
INSTAGRAM | @australianboomers
Sport: Basketball
The ideal running mate for Josh Giddey on the Boomers, Dyson Daniels had a breakout tournament at the Olympics, establishing himself as a mainstay in the starting lineup. Daniels is a lockdown defender, savvy passer, dynamic inside scorer and has shown flashes of shooting ability. Like Giddey, he’s only 21 and will likely move into a larger role with his new team, the Atlanta Hawks, in the upcoming NBA season.
Olivia Wunsch
INSTAGRAM | @liv.wunsch
Sport: Swimming
Eighteen-year-old swimmer Olivia Wunsch made her Olympic debut in Paris and by swimming in the heats of the 4x100m freestyle relay, she also picked up her first gold medal. She may not be a big name on the senior circuit right now, but Wunsch is already a superstar in junior competition. At the 2023 junior swimming world championships, Wunsch picked up a whopping six medals, with gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay and the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay, as well as bronze in the 50m butterfly.
Keegan Palmer
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Sport: Skateboarding
A dual-Olympic gold medallist in skateboarding park at just 21 years of age, Keegan Palmer has already reached his sport’s zenith, but he has no intention of letting up. It’s not unreasonable to think that Palmer could remain the only men’s skateboarding park gold medallist for the foreseeable future. He’ll only be 29 years old by Brisbane 2032, and skateboarders often compete well into their 40s.
Rocco Zikarsky
INSTAGRAM | @roccozikarsky
Sport: Basketball
The Boomers have a wealth of oversized, playmaking guards and lengthy, defensive specialist wings, but if the team has one area of weakness, it’s the at the centre position. Jock Landale exceeded expectations in Paris and perhaps Duop Reath will find a bigger role under a new coach, but neither look like they can handle international big men like Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. This is an unusual weak point for Australia, with stars like Luc Longley, Chris Anstey, Andrew Bogut and Aron Baynes having filled the role in the past. Thankfully, the next in the nation’s long line of big men will arrive shortly in Rocco Zikarsky. At seven foot three, Zikarksy is a certifiable giant and is projected as a consensus lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft.
Kyra Cooney-Cross
INSTAGRAM | @kyracooneyx
Sport: Football
Kyra Cooney-Cross’ stellar performance at the 2023 FIFA women’s world cup caught the attention of a number of top European teams. Ultimately, she secured a move to Arsenal not long after the world cup and has since become a crucial cog in the team’s midfield. Likewise, she’s already the Matildas’ most important player in the middle of the park and at just 22, she’ll likely continue in that role for at least the next decade.
Lizzy Dekkers
INSTAGRAM | @lizzydekkers
Sport: Swimming
Lizzy Dekkers’ specialty is the 200m butterfly, and she came very close to winning her first Olympic medal in the event in Paris. She wound up in fourth place in the final, but at 20 years of age, she still has plenty of time to improve for LA 2028. Plus, she’s already a world championship silver medallist and Commonwealth games gold medallist in the event.
Arisa Trew
INSTAGRAM | @arisa_trew
Sport: Skateboarding
How could Australia’s youngest ever gold medallist not make this list? The crazy thing about Arisa Trew is that, at just 14, she’ll still be eligible for this list after Brisbane 2032, as she’ll only be 22 by then. We foresee many medals in Trew’s future, as she looks to become a dominant force in skateboarding park.
Johnny Furphy
INSTAGRAM | @johnnyfurphy
Sport: Basketball
Freshly drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers, Johnny Furphy is a wing/forward with good size for his position, a smooth shooting stroke, surprising bounce and solid rebounding skills. He figures into the Boomers’ plans for the future and could be in the starting lineup by LA 2028. At 19, Furphy already looks like he has star potential.
Jaclyn Barclay
INSTAGRAM | @jaclynbarclay
Sport: Swimming
The youngest swimmer in the 2024 Australian Olympic team, Jaclyn Barclay will presumably step into Kaylee McKeown’s role as the nation’s premier backstroke swimmer, if McKeown does ever slow down. Barclay was the gold medallist in the 100m backstroke at last year’s junior world championships despite being only 16 at the time – a full two years younger than some of her competitors. She was the silver medallist in the 200m backstroke at the senior world championships earlier this year and looks like she’ll have Olympic medals in her future.
Calab Law
INSTAGRAM | _calablaw_
Sport: Athletics
It’s not often that Australia has track medallists in international meets, regardless of whether they’re on the senior or junior level, but Calab Law shocked many by winning bronze in the 200-metres at the 2022 under-20 athletics world championships. The time he ran to win that medal remains his personal best two years on, but at 20, Law has flashed enough potential to be considered a future Olympic medal threat.
Tayte Ryan
INSTAGRAM | @tayte_ryan
Sport: Cycling
Tayte Ryan has quite the resume. He’s a three-time junior world champion in the 1km track cycling time trial, an eight-time national champion and four-time Oceania champion – all by the age of 18. Australia has a long history of producing cycling stars and Ryan looks like the obvious choice to be the next one.
Grae Morris
INSTAGRAM | @grae.morris
Sport: Sailing
A medal that flew slightly under the radar in Paris was Grae Morris’ silver in men’s windsurfing. Morris finished first overall in the 13-race preliminary round but narrowly missed out on gold in the final. He’s only 20 and has already come close to the top of the Olympic podium, he’ll be back for another shot at future Olympics.
Delta Amidzovski
INSTAGRAM | @delta.amidzovski
Sport: Athletics
Breaking news out of Peru this morning, Delta Amidzovski has just become a junior world champion in long jump. Australia has won four Olympic medals in long jump – all of them silver and all of them won by men – and Amidzovski has now proven she has the potential to add more to that tally.
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