The 2024 Paris Olympic Games is just under 1 year away and the countdown is on to the start date of the 26th of July 2024 in Paris, France.

 

The 2020 games in Tokyo were a watershed moment for the Maribyrnong Sports Academy with 5 of our past Students participating in either the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games.  Cyclist Luke Plapp won a bronze medal in the team Pursuit while Paralympian and Table Tennis player Nathan Pellissier won a silver medal in the Men’s team C9-C10 event.  Reba Stewart represented in Taekwondo and Gronya Somerville was a part of the Badminton team.  Connor Metcalfe took part in the football program.  Before Tokyo, MSA had only 1 alumni athlete partake in the games and that was Boxer Ibrahim Bella at the 2012 London Games.

 

Over the next few weeks, we will look at the different sports here at MSA and tell you the athletes that could be a part of the action in Paris in 2024.

 

This week we look at Badminton.

 

MSA Alumni, Gronya Somerville & Jacob Schueler are both genuine chances to make the Australian Olympic Badminton team for Paris 2024.

Jacob and Gronya are current members of the Australian Badminton National Squad. This squad is affectionately known as The Falcons.

 

What they must do to make the team.

Olympic badminton consists of five events – men’s singles and doubles, women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles. Each involves a single-elimination tournament, with the top eight players or pairs seeded. The Badminton World Federation ranking list is used to determine qualification for the Olympic tournament. For singles, 38 competitors are selected. For doubles, 16 pairs are selected - BWF News (bwfbadminton.com)

 

Gronya will be competing for a mixed doubles and ladies doubles spot at the Olympic Games. Jacob will be aiming to compete in the Men’s singles event. They will be competing at World Badminton Federation events all over the world during the lead up to the Olympic Games in order to get their BWF World Rankings as high as possible in order to qualify for the games. 

 

Key Stats:

 

Gronya Somerville

Olympic Games – 2020, Commonwealth Games – 2014, 2018, 2022

Current World Rank WD: 68. Current World Rank XD: 51

2023 Yonex US Open – Mixed Quarterfinalist

2023 Mongolia International Challenge – Mixed Winner 

2023 FZ Forza Dutch International – Doubles quarterfinalist, Mixed Winner

2023 Oceania Championships – Doubles Bronze, Mixed Gold 

 

Jacob Schueler.

Commonwealth Games - 2022

Current World Rank: MS 147, 2019 and 2022 National Singles Champion

Mongolia International Challenge – Round 32

Hangzhou China International Challenge – Round 32

Portugal International Championships = Round 32

2023 Oceania Championships – Singles Bronze