HomeNewsBundaberg stars to shine at Paris 2024 Olympics

Bundaberg stars to shine at Paris 2024 Olympics

Bundaberg Paris 2024 Olympics
The Bundaberg community is set to cheer on four inspirational local sport heroes, Isaac Cooper, Rebecca Greiner, Shannan Davey and Taryn Gollshewsky, as they compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Excitement is brewing in Bundaberg as four hometown sports stars have been selected to represent Australia at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.

Making their Olympic debuts Shannan Davey, Rebecca Greiner and Taryn Gollshewsky will head to Paris at the end of the month along with returning-Olympian Isaac Cooper.

Paris 2024 Olympics will be a significant achievement not only for the athletes but also for the Bundaberg community that has supported them throughout their sporting journeys.

The local sport heroes have proven their dedication and talent and they will fulfill their dreams at the Olympics by representing Australia in discus, swimming, boxing and hockey.

Taryn Gollshewsky – Discus

After a decade on the national team, including three Commonwealth Games and two world championships and World University Games, Taryn Gollshewsky will make her Olympic debut in Paris.

After graduating from Kepnock State High School, Taryn resisted moving away from her regional home where she had grown-up and where her family and support network were based and became a great ambassador for young athletes.

Taryn Australian Athletics Championships
In 2022 Taryn was named Australian Open Women’s Discus Champion at the Australian Athletics Championships.

According to Athletics Australia, in April 2021 Taryn nailed a personal best of 61.05m at the national championships, placing the Tokyo Olympics within her reach, but a month later her Olympic dream was over when, playing soccer, she suffered a potentially career-ending broken leg.

After being bed ridden for two-and-a-half weeks and on crutches for about eight weeks, Taryn spent six months rebuilding her strength and returned to her sport eight months after the incident.

Then, after just 10 weeks of training, she won the 2022 national title and was selected for her third Commonwealth Games, going on to place fourth just 14cm from the podium.

In 2023 she completed at her second World Championships and in chasing her Olympic dream in 2024, she threw right up to her best form at the Australian Championships and Oceania Championships to put herself in a good position to secure her place for Paris.

Read more about Taryn’s triumphs here.

Rebecca Greiner – Hockey

Hockey player and former Bundaberg resident Rebecca Greiner will represent Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics after she was chosen for the Hockeyroos squad.

Commonwealth Games athletes
Bundaberg’s Rebecca Greiner joined her Hockeyroos teammates with their silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Photo: Hockeyroos

The former St Luke’s Anglican School student made the Bundaberg Region proud when she helped secure the Hockeyroos a place in the finals at the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Rebecca was the star player in the semi-final against India, which secured the Australian teams position, as she scored the only goal for Australia in the tenth minute before a 1-all draw led to a shootout.

The Hockeyroos then brought home silver in the final.

Her hockey career started as a Bundaberg All Blacks player when she joined the team during primary school.

She debuted for the Hockeyroos in 2018.

Rebecca’s tournament history includes competing at the Commonwealth Games 2022, World Cup 2022, Trans-Tasman Series 2022 and Champions Trophy 2018.

Read more about Rebecca’s story here.

Shannan Davey – Boxing

The 2024 Paris Olympics will not be the first major event for this rising boxing star, with Shannan already a two-time Australian champion.

With limited opportunities to advance his boxing career while living in Narrabri, Shannan moved to Bundaberg to train with renowned boxing coach Attila Kovacs.

Shannan Davey boxing Australian champion
Shannan Davey was ready to travel to Uzbekistan, for the Men’s World Boxing Championship in April 2023.

Shannan represented Australia at the 2023 World Championships in Uzbekistan before heading to the Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands, in an attempt to win a quota spot for the Paris Olympics.

He made it to the final, where he outclassed New Zealand’s Wendell Stanley in the 71kg gold medal bout by unanimous decision.

Read more about Shannan’s journey here.

Isaac Cooper – swimming

Bundaberg-born swimming sensation Isaac Cooper has been selected to represent Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, burgeoning his dream to become the world’s fastest man on water.

The 20-year-old joins a 41-strong Australian swimming team, which was selected by the Australia Olympic Committee on the final night of trials in Brisbane last month.

Isaac Cooper helps bring home gold for Dolphins
Photo: Bundaberg’s Isaac Cooper was crowned 50m backstroke world champion at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha. Image: Swimming Australia/Delly Carr

Isaac claimed victory in the 100m backstroke at the Australian Olympic trials in Brisbane in a time of 53.46. He finished third in the 50m freestyle.

Paris 2024 Olympics will be the second time Isaac has competed at the Olympics, and his dream started right here in the Bundaberg Region at Fairymead Swimming Club, under coaches Paul Simms and Scott Hamlet.

Career highlights for Isaac include the 2020 Queensland Short Course Championships, where he won his age category in the 50m backstroke in an impressive 24.37 seconds.

Not only was this Isaac’s PB time in the 50m backstroke, but also set a new Queensland Age Record, Queensland All Comers Record and Australian Age Record.

In 2022 at the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne Isaac achieved a world record and gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay and he also won gold in the 4x50m freestyle relay.

Read more about Isaac’s dream here.

The Bundaberg community will cheer on the four inspirational sport heroes, Isaac Cooper, Rebecca Greiner, Shannan Davey and Taryn Gollshewsky, as the compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics from 26 July.

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