Athletics: Australia’s medal hopefuls for the World Championships

The 2023 World Athletics Championships are set to get underway and Australia will be sending a strong squad to Budapest, Hungary.

The Championships will take place from 19th to 27th August and team Australia will be hoping to return home with a bag full of medals.

Australia have had some superstar athletes in the past, with the likes of Sally Pearson, Steve Hooker and Jana Pittman doing the business.

They may not have that stand-out, box office athlete this time around. However the team is stronger and deeper than ever before as 67 athletes head to Budapest.

Australia are priced at 151.00 to win the most gold medals and it is no surprise that the USA are the stand-out team at 1.02.

Even so, the Australians have their own goals and some have suggested that it is the best team to head to a championships, so expectations are high.

Here are some of Australia’s best medal hopes for the Championships.

Nicola Olyslagers (High Jump)

Olyslagers is one of Australia’s top medal hopes in the Championships as she is priced at 2.30 to win the gold.

She has been there and done it on the biggest stage of all when winning a silver medal at the Olympics, and expectations will be high heading into the event.

Olyslagers has won nine out of 10 events this season, but the competition will be fierce in a very strong looking field.

Eleanor Patterson (High Jump)

Patterson is the defending champion but her build-up has been hampered by a foot injury which required surgery.

The 27-year-old is back competing again ahead of the Worlds, but it remains to be seen how much the injury lay-off will effect her.

Patterson is priced at 17.00 to match last year’s incredible effort and take out the gold.

Nina Kennedy (Pole Vault)

Kennedy won the bronze medal in the 2022 World Championships but will be aiming to go even higher, quite literally, in Budapest.

She can be backed at 9.50 to take out the gold on this occasion, but will have to overcome USA athlete Katie Moon, who is the hot fancy at 1.65 to come out on top.

Kelsey-Lee Barber (Javelin Throw)

Barber is gunning to become a three-time World Champion in the Javelin Throw and is priced at 11.00 to do it.

She wrote her name into the history books in 2022 when becoming the first woman to defend a javelin world title.

Barber is also a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and knows how to get the job done when the pressure is on.

Jessica Hull (1500m)

Jessica Hull has national titles to her name but it will take something extra special to pick up a medal in either the 5000m or 1500m in Budapest.

She can be backed at 81.00 to win gold in the 1500m, with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon the one to beat at 1.083.

Matthew Denny (Discus Throw)

Switching to the men and Denny won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham but will need to raise his game at the Worlds.

Denny is priced at 41.00 to the gold, with Kristjan Ceh from Slovenia, the hot fancy at 2.20.