PARIS 2024: Crunchtime for Clancy, Hockeyroos and Boomers as Indigenous track star awaits Olympic debut

Jarred Cross Published August 5, 2024 at 6.00pm (AWST)

sport

Mariah Williams (pictured) and Brooke Peris can go one step closer to the Hockeyroos' first medal since their Sydney gold when they line up with China in the women's hockey quarterfinals on Monday. (Image: Sia USA)

Medals are on the table for Indigenous Olympians Brooke Peris, Mariah Williams, Patty Mills and Taliqua Clancy ahead of their introductions to the knockout stages in Paris this week.

Hockey

A 3-1 win over Spain on Saturday cemented Peris and Williams' spot at the top of their pool with the Hockeyroos, who can advance to a semifinal with the victor of Belgium and their most recent opponents if they can get past China on Monday night.

According to Olympics.com, the Australians hold the edge over China in recent history, claiming 13 wins to seven, with seven draws, from their previous 27 meetings since 2013.

The Hockeyroos claimed a 6-nil victory in the pool stage when they met in Tokyo three years ago.

China however handed the Hockeyroos their first loss 3-2 in their recent meeting at April's Perth International Festival of Hockey.

*Brooke Peris helped the Hockeyroos collect a 3-1 win over Spain at the weekend. (Image: Sipa USA)*

The two sides square off for a shot to go one game closer to a guaranteed medal at 6pm (AEST) Monday night.

Beach Volleyball

On Monday morning, Taliqua Clancy and teammate Mariafe Artacho del Solar progressed to the women's beach volleyball quarter finals with a straight sets 24-22, 21-14 win over Brazilian duo Carolina Solberg Salgado and Barbara Seixas de Freitas.

The Australians, who took home silver in Tokyo, finished second in their pool after beating Canada's Bansley and Bukovec on Friday morning, with a semifinal spot on the line in their medal defence against Swiss pair Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Boebner on Wednesday morning.

Basketball

Patty Mills - in his fifth Olympic campaign, responded from a poor showing against Canada to be the Boomers second-top scorer in Australia's final pool game against Greece on Friday night.

The Boomers step in defending bronze comes through a matchup with Serbia in the men's basketball quarterfinal on Tuesday evening, with narrow loss to Greece enough to hold onto second spot and avoid a meeting with a red-hot German outfit to start the knockout phase of the tournament.

*Mills drives against Greece in Paris. (Image: AP)*

Mills produced a vintage performance knocking down 28 points in the Boomers' recent 84-73 win over their quarterfinal opponents in preparation for Paris last month.

Athletics

Turning to the track, one of Australia's fastest men is set to make his Olympic debut early Tuesday morning.

20-year-old sprinter and Wakka Wakka man Calab Law lines up in lane 5 in the opening heat of the 200m from 3:55am tomorrow morning.

Law comes into his first games hot off a 200m national title in April and extending the feat at the Oceania Championships in Fiji last month.

"I am in the shape to run fast, very fast," he told National Indigenous Times last month, circling a plan to make a strong showing in Paris.

"I think my current PB right now, if you put it on paper, I should be there in a semi-final," Law said.

"But you have to put it together all right on the day.

"It all depends because other people might put it together better than you.

"It's different every single time, but if you average my times out, the time I know I have to run and have before it would be that (semi-final qualification).

"I want to be in the top 16 in the world by the end of the comp."

*Calab Law will make his Olympic debut in heat one of the men's 200m sprint on Tuesday morning. (Image: Athletics Australia)*

The current world-ranked no.29 faces a tough first run, with current top 20 sprinters Ryan Zeze (France), Joseph Fahnbulleh (Liberia) and Cheickna Traore (Côte d'Ivoire) on either side.

Law is also in Australia's 4x100m relay squad set to run from Thursday evening.

3x3 Basketball

Ally Wilson and her Ganrgurrus have fallen short of repeating medal heroics in Birmingham two years ago with their debut Olympics campaign drawing to a close against a strong Canadian outfit 21-10 on Sunday morning.

Sailing

Conor Nicholas is in position to qualify for the mixed dinghy sailing medal race if he and partner Nia Jerwood can hold onto their top 10 ranking spot in the field.

With four preliminary races remaining before the final, Nicholas and Jerwood sit eighth on the overall standings ahead of taking to the water again in the coming days.

Coming up (AEST)

QUARTERFINALS:

- Brooke Peris, Mariah Williams (Hockeyroos) meet China in the women's hockey 6pm Monday.

- Patty Mills and the Boomers meet Sebia at 10:30pm Tuesday.

- Taliqua Clancy and Mariafe Artacho del Solar face Swiss pair Zoe Verge-Depre and Esmee Boebner in the women's beach volleyball at 5am Wednesday morning.

Calab Law 200m mens sprint heat one from 3:55am Tuesday morning.

Conor Nicholas continues in the mixed dinghy from 8pm Tuesday night.