Aussies secure full qualification quota for Olympic Games

Australia secures both Team quota places and the Mixed Doubles spot at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

There were happy faces all around the Australian team after all continental quota spots in the team and mixed doubles events were secured at the Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament in Townsville on the weekend. The women's team was first to secure the team spot after beating New Zealand in three straight games. Min Hyung Jee, Jian Fang Lay, Melissa Tapper, Michelle Bromley and Constantina Psihogios then followed up with a 3-0 victory against Fiji to seal the Olympic berth for the women's team.

On the men's side Aditya Sareen, Xavier Dixon, Dillon Chambers, Finn Luu and Nicholas Lum wasted no time in beating Marshall Islands and Fiji 3-0 each. In the third match of the round robin, New Zealand proved to be a tough rival. Finn Luu paved the way with an 11-9, 14-12, 11-4 win over Roger Wang. Dillon Chambers and Nicholas Lum then followed up with two hard-fought wins over Timothy Choi and Alfred de la Pena to secure the clean sheet victory.

In the Mixed Doubles Qualification event on Sunday Jian Fang Lay and Finn Luu were tested by the top New Zealand pair of Sarah Her-Lee and Alfred de la Pena. Trailing 1-3 initially Jian and Finn turned the match around and won in seven sets to prevent an Australian clash with Jee/Lum in the cross-over semi-finals. Both Aussie pairs then overcame their Kiwi opponents in the penultimate round 4-0 to set up the all-Australian final which Min Hyung Jee and Nicholas Lum won against Jian Fang Lay/Finn Luu after an exhilarating final with spectacular rallies and a nailbiting finish 6-11, 11-4, 5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9.

Congratulations to all players!