Gold Medalist Leads the Way for Australia’s Next Para-Rowing Stars

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1CCwNK" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1CCwNK.jpg"/> <div> <p> Less than a year after losing his lower left leg in a motorcycle accident, Jack McLeish has returned to the sport of rowing and is getting back into the swing of things. </p> <p> The teenager's comeback to swimming has been overseen by Jed Altschwager, a Paris Paralympic gold medalist, who traveled from Adelaide to Queensland to meet with the young athlete and his prosthetist in Gold Coast. </p> <p> Altschwager, who was Australia's inaugural Paralympic rowing champion, assisted Jack in overcoming and bypassing the two-year hurdles he faced in locating the perfect prosthesis for his rowing endeavors. </p> <p> Jack's old prosthesis featured a large spring with limited mobility — his new "rowing foot" enables greater flexibility at the ankle joint. </p> <p> "Having someone who has experienced things firsthand for about ten years is beneficial," Jack mentioned. </p> <blockquote> <p> It's great to have someone who understands feet. </p> </blockquote> <p> The Southport School pupil, who had his leg amputated last May, developed a passion for rowing as soon as he grasped an oar during his Grade 7 year. The sight of the rowing vessels outside his dormitory piqued his interest right away. </p> <p> The student hailing from Winton, an outback township in Western Queensland, joined the school's rowing squad that very year. </p> <p> Jack's comeback to school coincided precisely with the beginning of the rowing season following his accident. </p> <p> "The moment I returned to the boat and started some training, it felt quite usual," stated the Year 9 student. </p> <p> It doesn’t seem very different. Clearly, there’s reduced power, yet everything still feels alike. </p> <p> Last year, Altschwager secured a Paralympic gold medal before retiring soon after. They connected with Jack via shared contacts and assisted them in returning to sailing. </p> <h4> Aspiring Paralympian </h4> <p> While Altschwager, who is also a below-the-knee amputee, was visiting Jack's school, he was also introduced to another student who had taken an interest in para-rowing. </p> <p> Year 10 student Beau McKelvey started rowing at the end of last year and is considering a career in the sport. </p> <p> The student from Goondiwindi, on Queensland's southern border, broke his back after falling off his motorbike in 2021 and has no feeling from his waist down. </p> <p> The 15-year-old had always been a sporty person before his accident, and became involved in rowing after the school's head coach scouted him out at a swimming carnival. </p> <p> "He just came up to me and said, 'If you'd like to try rowing, you can come and see me one day, and we'll figure it out from there'," Beau said. </p> <p> "It's been one difficult but easy path." </p> <p> Artschwager's sports career has been a source of inspiration for Beau. </p> <blockquote> <p> "He could show us how he'd gone down that Paralympic path and show us what we need to do to be able to go down that path as well," he said. </p> </blockquote> <p> I will continue along the path of rowing and focus on my training, hoping to participate in more events such as those at the state level, which will help me gain additional experience in racing. </p> <p> Then simply observe what chances arise. </p> <p> Altschwager was struck by what he saw at the school. </p> <p> “What I witnessed personally was an incredibly open-minded coach who asked, ‘Hey mate, what do you need to make this happen?’” he stated. </p> <p> It was incredibly amazing for someone who has gone through such challenges as a disabled person to experience this setting. </p> <p> There aren’t many venues, including Para sports clubs, that back rowing and Paralympic development paths. </p> <p> The Paralympian advised the boys to simply "carry on with rowing." </p> <p> "Right now, you're essentially doing absolutely everything within your power to get yourself into an excellent position, performance-wise," Altschwager stated. </p> <h4> The first pre-race event in over 100 years </h4> <p> Andrew Hawkin, the headmaster of The Southport School, stated that involving the boys in the sport was significant. </p> <p> "We simply want them to feel as ordinary as any other boy at this school since they are our kids," he stated. </p> <p> As the chairman of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland (GPS), Mr Hawkin advocated for the inclusion of the inaugural para-race at the GPS Head of the River regatta earlier this year, allowing Beau and Jack to participate. </p> <p> Mr Hawkin expressed his aspiration for every athletic event we undertake to include a categorized race of some sort, with rowing being a natural opportunity to give it a try. </p> <p> This was the inaugural event of this nature in the regatta's 104-year history. </p> <blockquote> <p> "It’s fantastic because these individuals have become part of history," Mr Hawkin stated. </p> </blockquote> <p> Hard to imagine we've never done this until now. </p> <p> To tell you the truth, I'm quite enthusiastic about the coming 104 years. </p> <p> Mr Hawkin said that if he witnessed Jack and Beau competing in the rowing event at the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, he would consider quitting his educational career. </p> <p> "I consider this a success because it opens new opportunities for our boys and who knows where this might take us," he stated. </p> <p> I couldn't ask for anything more. </p> </div>

Gold Medalist Leads the Way for Australia’s Next Para-Rowing Stars

Less than a year after losing his lower left leg in a motorcycle accident, Jack McLeish has returned to the sport of rowing and is get...

Read more »

UPDATE 1: IOC Boosts Women’s Soccer Teams to 16 for LA 2028 Olympics, Men’s Teams Reduced to 12

<p> (Adds details) </p> <p> LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 9 (DIWIDA > NEWS |) – The International Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday that the number of women’s soccer teams at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will expand from 12 to 16, whereas the men’s tournament will decrease from 16 to 12 teams. </p> <p> This change was one of multiple adjustments made to the Olympic event lineup, introducing additional mixed-gender competitions across various sports. Additionally, every team sport will feature an equal number of female and male teams. </p> <p> The IOC said the reason for the sharp increase in women's soccer teams was the rapidly growing popularity of women's team sports, especially in the United States, and that change in the competition format reflected that rapid growth. </p> <p> "We aimed to do something to mirror this expansion, and also because the United States, which hosts the pinnacle of women’s soccer popularity, was involved," IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell stated at a press conference. </p> <p> He said the IOC had discussed the issue with both LA Games organisers and world soccer's governing body FIFA before going through with the changes. </p> <p> The total number of players -- men's and women's -- would not change. </p> <p> The United States, who will also host the 2026 men's and the 2031 women's World Cup, have won five Olympic gold medals in the women's competition. </p> <p> The male squads at the Olympics predominantly consist of under-23 athletes. </p> <p> The LA Games will feature a total of 351 medal events across all sports, which is 22 more than the number held during the Paris 2024 Olympics. </p> <p> Various sports such as archery, track and field, golf, and gymnastics will introduce new mixed team competitions. Despite this addition, the overall athlete count remains steady at 10,500. </p> <p> The five sports suggested by the LA Games organizing committee — baseball/softball, cricket, flag football, lacrosse, and squash — will be allocated an additional 698 spots. (Reported by Karolos Grohmann; edited by Pritha Sarkar) </p>

UPDATE 1: IOC Boosts Women’s Soccer Teams to 16 for LA 2028 Olympics, Men’s Teams Reduced to 12

(Adds details) LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 9 (DIWIDA > NEWS |) – The International Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday that th...

Read more »

Figure Skater's Heroic Effort Secures Historic U.S. Olympic Spot Despite Broken Foot

<p> Just under 48 hours before Colorado native Danny O'Shea was scheduled to join his skating partner Ellie Kam at the World Figure Skating Championships, he found himself unable to take to the ice. Coach Drew Meekins reported that on March 22, O'Shea hurt his foot during an off-ice workout session, making him experience excruciating discomfort. </p> <span> <img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1Cbks8" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1Cbks8.jpg"/> </span> <p> The injury occurred when Kam and O'Shea were expected to assist the U.S. in securing additional Olympic berths for the USA at the forthcoming 2026 Olympic Games. The duo had previously teamed up before. <span> interviewed with CBS Colorado </span> As they got ready in Colorado Springs for the world competition in March. </p> <p> As per the rules of the competition, the team states they informed U.S. Figure Skating about O'Shea’s injury. They mention having contingency plans ready should an alternate be needed, and O'Shea received extensive medical attention over 24 hours. This included “an epidural shot,” a treatment also employed in other high-level sports such as American football for players suffering from comparable injuries, according to Meekins. </p> <p> Two days after the injury, O'Shea skated a full final training program and was cleared by USFS to skate. O'Shea says the team did not yet know the extent of his injuries. </p> <p> The intensive ice and compression routine alongside numbing injections continued throughout Oshea's time at the competition in Boston to manage swelling and pain. </p> <p> "His biggest motivation was to help Team USA secure three spots at next year's world championship, and give the team the chance to earn a third spot for the Olympic Games. And despite the immense amount of pain he was in, and the emotional and psychological trauma this situation caused to both him and Ellie, somehow they were able to perform to a seventh best place in the world," Meekins said. </p> <p> The pair team's 7th place finish, alongside other strong performing U.S. athletes, earned Team USA a third Olympic spot for the upcoming games. Experts in the field say it's an opportunity Team USA has not in decades. </p> <p> After the competition concluded, O’Shea headed to a medical facility in Boston for an assessment. According to Meeks, official scans revealed that Danny’s foot had suffered a severe fracture of his fifth metatarsal. </p> <p> On Wednesday, O'Shea had an operation at the Colorado Center of Orthopedic Excellence. Once he recuperates and remains interested, his partner intends for them to get back into skating with their sights set on securing one of the current three available spots for the 2026 Olympics. </p>

Figure Skater's Heroic Effort Secures Historic U.S. Olympic Spot Despite Broken Foot

Just under 48 hours before Colorado native Danny O'Shea was scheduled to join his skating partner Ellie Kam at the World Figure Skatin...

Read more »

World Athletics Introduces Exciting New Event! (International Edition)

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1BMAlp" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1BMAlp.jpg"/> <p> <strong> This week, the international athletics body declared that the 300 meters hurdles would be introduced as an official discipline at every championship. </strong> </p> <p> From now on, this entirely new hurdles event will have a global ranking system, allowing for an officially recognized world record moving forward. </p> <p> The Dutch athlete <strong> Femke Bol </strong> and Norway's <strong> Karsten Warholm </strong> They will consider this extremely positive news since both individuals excel at this discipline on a global scale. 36.86 No woman alive has ever run faster than her. <strong> Femke Bol </strong> across the 300-meter hurdles, and the Norwegian sensation <strong> Karsten Warholm </strong> also permits no rivalry with him 33.26 among men. </p> <p> (Raul Stiens - Photo: <strong> © </strong> Unsplash) </p>

World Athletics Introduces Exciting New Event! (International Edition)

This week, the international athletics body declared that the 300 meters hurdles would be introduced as an official discipline at ever...

Read more »