North Coast Olympians set for Paris 2024

ATHLETES from the North Coast of NSW are set to represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics, showcasing their talents in a range of sports.

The group includes Jeff Dunne in breaking, Flynn Southam in swimming, Jack Robinson in surfing, and Chloe Covell in skateboarding.

Sixteen-year-old Casuarina high school student Jeff Dunne will compete in breaking, a sport making its debut at the Games.

 

Jeff, who breakdances as J Attack, secured his place by winning gold at the Oceania Breaking Championships in Sydney in November 2023.

“When I saw the scoreboard, I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but then I saw my family and my friends soaked in tears, so I just had to let my emotions go,” Jeff said.

 

“I know how much hard work and dedication I had to go through to make it to the Olympics.”

Fourteen-year-old Tweed Heads skateboarder Chloe Covell has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in street skateboarding.

 

Like surfing, skateboarding first graced the Olympic stage in Tokyo and returns for the Paris Games.

Inspired by Keegan Palmer’s gold medal in Tokyo, Chloe quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest women’s street gold medallist in X Games history in 2023.

“I was just watching the TV and the X Games came on,” she said. “After I saw that I just wanted to start.”

 

Chloe’s father Luke, who played 131 games for Cronulla Sharks, said he was mindful of the pitfalls of stardom at such a young age.

“We’re obviously very mindful of her growing up and want her to enjoy being a kid and not put too much pressure on her, or her put too much pressure on herself,” he said.

 

Nineteen-year-old Tweed Heads swimmer Flynn Southam has become a rising star in Australian swimming.

Between 2020 and 2022, Flynn broke several Australian age-group records and won six gold medals at the 2021 Australian Age Championships.

He made his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham in 2022, winning gold in multiple relay events.

 

Surfing at the 2024 Olympics will take place over 9,000 miles from the French capital in Teahupo’o, located on the island of Tahiti in French Polynesia.

Twenty-six-year-old surfer Jack Robinson, originally from Margaret River and now a resident of Tweed Heads, is a top contender in his sport.

Known for his powerful style and calm under pressure, Jack has won multiple Championship Tour titles, including the Pipeline Pro in 2023.

 

Despite a knee injury that sidelined him for four months, Jack qualified for the 2024 Olympics.

“I’m so happy to have qualified for the Olympics and have the chance to bring a medal to Australia,” he said.

Paris 2024 will feature 19 days of competition with the Opening Ceremony taking place July 26.

 

The Games will see 10,500 athletes (5,250 women and 5,250 men) contest 329 medal events across 35 sports, including 22 mixed gender events.

In a unique opening ceremony plan, athletes will travel down the Seine on boats, allowing up to 600,000 spectators to line the riverbanks and cheer on athletes for free.