Australia’s top rising sporting stars
Australia’s top rising sporting stars
With Aussie athletes competing at the highest levels in everything from boxing and swimming to rugby and cricket, it is safe to say that Australia is truly a nation of supreme physical talent.
And this is particularly true of the rising crop of young athletes who are following in the footsteps of Australia’s sporting greats.
While we certainly got a glimpse of this at the latest Olympics in Tokyo, where team Australia athletes amassed a haul of 17 gold medals, young Aussies are making a name for themselves and the country as a whole in a wide range of professional sports.
In this short article, we will give you a quick run-down of some of Australia’s youngest, most promising athletic talents to look out for in the coming years.
And given the talent some of these athletes are already exhibiting so early in their careers, it is only a matter of time before we can expect to see interest from sponsors such as SkyCity casino to help raise their profile. Online casinos and other betting platforms have a long history of sponsoring sporting greats, so once we start to see this interest, this is a good sign their careers are really beginning to take off!
Josh Giddey: rising NBA talent?
Although Australia has not traditionally been known as a nation of basketball fans, this might change in the coming years if Josh Giddey’s career takes off in the direction many are already predicting it will!
Giddey is a 19-year-old wonderkid from Melbourne, who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA team.
Giddey was drafted into the NBA as a sixth-round pick in 2021 and has been performing well in his first year as a professional in the league. And while he definitely has some areas that need improving, Giddey has showed considerable promise this season so far. In particular, Giddey has displayed a willingness to learn and improve that could set him on to the path of greatness.
Ariarne Titmus: the future of Aussie swimming?
Having previously produced one of the greatest professional swimmers in the history of the sport, Australia has been crying out for an heir to Ian Thorpe’s throne, ever since he retired.
However, if Ariarne Titmus’ most recent performances are anything to go by, the search for an heir might not go on for much longer. And following the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Titmus looks to be on track to set a new standard for Australian swimming.
Following a glittering career as a youth, Tasmanian-born Titmus set the sporting world alight when she won gold medals in the 200 metre and 400 metre freestyle events. In addition to these medals, Titmus has also set a number of world records in both the 4x200m freestyle relay and the 400m freestyle. Titmus also set a 200m freestyle record in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
People are already predicting that Titmus, aged just 21, will join Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe as Australia’s most decorated Olympians.
Kaylee McKeown: an inspirational athlete
As one of the many swimming talents contributing to Australia’s tally of 17 gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics, Kaylee McKeown had viewers in tears when she paid tribute to her recently deceased father after each of her three gold medal performances at the games.
Despite being just 20 years old, a lack of Olympic experience did not appear to hold this talent athlete back as she put in dominant performances in the backstroke events. And even during the tearful dedications to her late father following each of her victories, McKeown looked incredibly composed on the podium.
It is this combination of raw talent, an inspirational story and incredible composure in the face of adversity that has many sporting analysts predicting that McKeown will experience a long, dominant reign in the sport.
Callum Robson: rookie surfer sensation
As one of the global hubs for professional surfing, Australia has not suffered from a lack of young surfing talent.
One of the most promising prospects to come out in recent years, however, is Callum Robson, who recently dethroned the WSL Champion Mick Fanning in Heat 9 at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
Robson produced a 7.77 on a final wave to defeat the significantly more experienced Fanning.
Despite just having turned 20, Robson look every bit the professional out on the water and put in a string of excellent performances. For this reason, fans are already predicting that Robson looks set for a meteoric rise in the coming years, with 2022 expected to be his debutante year as a professional.
