Australian Sporting Highlights in 2024
Looking back, 2024 was a thrilling year for all sports fans, filled with unforgettable moments by Australians on the world stage. Major events for this Australian sporting 2024 calendar were the Paris Olympic Games and the men's ICC World T20, as well as the usual annual events.
The Paris Olympics was a highlight of 2024At the Paris Olympics, Australia finished with 18 gold medals, the country's best-ever gold medal haul. They finished 4th on the medal table. The highlight was possibly the Fox sisters' clean sweep of all the women's canoe slalom events, Jessica winning the K1 and C1 slalom, and Noemie winning the new event kayak cross. In the pool, Emma McKeon won her sixth Olympic gold medal to become the most successful Australian Olympic athlete (in terms of gold medals won). Other highlights include Nina Kennedy becoming the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in pole vault, and swimmer Mollie O’Callaghan being the best in the pool with three gold medals, alongside a silver and a bronze.
West Australian born American footballer Mitch Wishnowsky played in his second Super Bowl, going agonisingly close to being the first Aussie to be in a winning Super Bowl team. As the punter for the San Francisco 49ers, Wishnowsky was also part of the losing team against Kansas City in the 2020 Super Bowl.
In 2024 we also saw the breakout of teenage sprinter Gout Gout, who set a new Australian national record in the 200m sprint with a time of 20.04 seconds at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships, showcasing his immense potential on the international stage.
Baseball player Travis Bazzana was selected first overall in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft, becoming the first Australian player to be drafted in the opening round of the Major League Baseball draft.
In Australian tennis, the stand-out player was Alex de Minaur, who reached the quarter-finals in three of the grand slams. 34-year-old Australian number one tennis player Arina Rodionova made tennis history by becoming the oldest woman to enter the world's top 100 for the first time.
Australian 14-year-old Arisa Trew was named action sportsperson of the year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. The 2024 Don Award, which recognises the sporting achievement of the year which has inspired the people of Australia, was awarded to paddlers Noemie Fox and Jess Fox.
Notable deaths in Australian sport for 2024:
- Ian Redpath MBE (1941–2024) – A gritty opening batsman for Victoria and Australia, Redpath was a celebrated cricketer and Australian Cricket Hall of Fame inductee.
- Neale Fraser AO MBE (1933–2024) – Tennis great and Davis Cup captain, Fraser won 19 Grand Slam titles and left a lasting legacy in Australian tennis.
- Kevan Gosper AO (1933–2024) – Olympian, sports administrator, and long-time IOC member, Gosper was a key figure in Australian and global sport. His leadership shaped the Olympic movement in Australia.
- Black Caviar (2006–2024) – An undefeated champion racehorse and Hall of Fame inductee, Black Caviar thrilled fans with 25 consecutive wins, cementing her place in racing history.
Below is a timeline of some significant results in the world of sport for the year 2024, in events held in Australia, or involving Australian athletes in some way.
| Date(s) | Sport | Event | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14-28 | Tennis | Australian Open | Melbourne, Australia | The only Aussie winner was Matthew Ebden, winning the Men's doubles with partner Rohan Bopanna from India. |
| Feb 2-18 | Swimming | World Aquatics Championships | Doha, Qatar | Australia finished 3rd on the medal table behind China and the USA. |
| Feb 11 | Football (American) | Super Bowl | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada | WA born footballer Mitch Wishnowsky played in his second Super Bowl. |
| Mar 1-3 | Athletics | 19th IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championship | Glasgow, UK | Australia's only medallist was high jumper Nicola Olyslagers, winning gold in the women's event. |
| Apr 8-14 | Golf | Masters | Augusta, Georgia, USA | Cameron Smith tied for 6th |
| May 20 - Jun 9 | Tennis | French Open | Paris, France | Australian Alex de Minaur reached the quarter-finals. |
| Jun 4-30 | Cricket | ICC World T20 (men) | USA & West Indies | India won their second T20 World Cup title, defeating South Africa. Australia made it to the final 8. |
| Jun 29 - Jul 21 | Cycling | Tour de France | Italy start, France | Jai Hindley was the best performing Australian, finishing 18th. |
| Jul 1-14 | Tennis | Wimbledon | London, England | Alex de Minaur reached the quarter-finals. |
| Jul 18-21 | Golf | The Open Championship | Royal Troon Golf Club Troon South Ayrshire Scotland | The best performing Aussie was Adam Scott who finished in a tie for 10th. |
| Jul 26 - Aug 11 | Multi-sports | Summer Olympics | Paris, France | Australia finished with 18 gold medals, the country's best ever gold medal haul. They finished 4th on the medal table |
| Aug 10- Sep 28 | Rugby | The Rugby Championships | Australia, NZ, Argentina, South Africa | Australia only won one game out of the six played, finishing at the bottom of the table. |
| Aug 12-18 | Cycling | Tour de France Femmes | France | Nine Australians started the event, with Sarah Gigante finishing in 7th on the general classification. |
| Aug 18-25 | Rowing | World Rowing Championships | Henley Island/Martindale Pond, St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada | Australia finished 7th with seven medals, 2 of which were gold. |
| Aug 26 - Sep 8 | Tennis | US Open | New York, USA | Alex de Minaur reached the quarter-finals. |
| Aug 28 - Sept 8 | Multi-sports | Paralympic Games | Paris, France | Australia finished 9th on the medal table. |
| Sep 21-29 | Cycling | UCI Road World Championships | Zurich, Switzerland | Australia topped the medal table, though four countries each finished with 2 gold medals: Australia, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain |
| Sep 28 | Australian Football | Grand Final | Melbourne, Australia | Brisbane beat Sydney by 60 points, marking their 4th premiership |
| Oct 3-20 | Cricket | ICC World T20 (women) | UAE | New Zealand defeated South Africa by 32 runs to win their 1st T20 World Cup. Australia lost to South Africa in the semi. |
| Oct 6 | Rugby League | NRL Grand Final | Sydney, Australia | Penrith defeated the minor premiers Melbourne 14–6, their 4th premiership in a row. |
| Oct 16-20 | Cycling | World Track Championships | Ballerup, Denmark | Australia finished 11th on the medal table with one silver and one bronze. |
| Nov 5 | Horse Racing | Melbourne Cup | Victoria, Australia | Won by Knight's Choice, ridden by Robbie Dolan. |
| Dec 6-15 | Weightlifting | IWF World Championships | Manama, Bahrain | One Australian won a medal, Fijian born Eileen Cikamatana, finishing 2nd in the women's 87kg event. |
| Dec 10-15 | Swimming | FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) | Budapest, Hungary | Australia finished with just 2 gold medals, in 6th place (the USA won 18 gold) |
If you have a correction or know of events that should be included here, please let me know.
Related Pages
- 2024 World Sports Highlights
- Australian Sport Timeline
- Timeline (all years) in the world of sport
- 2024 Calendar of Major Sporting Events
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
