Josh Ross considers withdrawing from Olympics if he doesn't get answers

The only Australian to win an Olympic medal in the men’s 100m is Hec Hogan in Melbourne (1956) when he won the bronze medal. Since 1956 Australia has had 18 representatives in the men’s 100m at the Olympic Games.

The fastest an Australian has run at the Olympics is Matt Shirvington (Sydney, 2000) who ran 10.13 in a quarter final before running 10.26 in the semi final. Shirvo was 10th out of a field of 99 athletes.

Josh Ross ran 10.24 (heat) and 10.22 (quarter final) in Athens in 2004 to finish 19th overall from a field of 84 athletes. Josh is the second fastest behind Shirvo but more importantly he has the second and third fastest times ever by an Aussie at the Olympics. He is also the fastest ever at an ‘away’ Olympics.

Fastest Aussies at an Olympic Games. (<10.70)
10.13 (+0.8.) Matt Shirvington (Sydney 2000)
10.22 (-0.1) Josh Ross (Athens 2004)
10.24 (+0.9) Josh Ross (Athens 2004)
10.26 (+0.2) Matt Shirvington (Sydney 2000)
10.31 (-0.6) Patrick Johnson (Sydney 2000)
10.35 (-1.0) Matt Shirvington (Sydney 2000)
10.35 (+5.3) Bob Lay (Tokyo 1964)
10.42 (+1.8.) Bob Lay (Tokyo 1964)
10.44 (+0.2) Patrick Johnson (Sydney 2000)
10.52 (+0.3) Paul DiBella (Sydney 2000)
10.52 (+2.0) Paul Henderson (Atlanta 1996)
10.52 (+0.8.) Peter Van Miltenberg (Los Angeles 1984)
10.53 (+0.2) Bob Lay (Tokyo 1964)
10.55 (-0.8.) Paul Narracott (Los Angeles 1984)
10.55 (-0.4) Peter Van Miltenberg (Los Angeles 1984)
10.55 (0.0) Greg Lewis (Mexico City 1968)
10.56 (+0.3) Rod Mapstone (Atlanta 1996)
10.60 (-0.7) Paul Narracott (Los Angeles 1984)
10.60 (+1.9) Bill Earle (Tokyo 1964)
10.61 (-0.8.) Fred Martin (Los Angeles 1984)
10.62 (-1.1) Hec Hogan (Melbourne 1956)
10.64 (+0.8.) Fred Martin (Los Angeles 1984)
10.69 (+0.2) Gary Holdsworth (Tokyo 1964)

It’s probably fair to say that outside of Matt Shirvington in 2000, Josh Ross (with a recent 10.23) is going into these Olympics in the best form of any Australian 100m athlete in Olympic history. Yet he’s being denied a chance to run in the heats. The more you look into it the more realise that there’s more to this than him simply not running the A standard.

By the way, I’m not comfortable with this suggestion of pulling out if not selected fro the 100m. I agree he should be concentrating on the relay and any discussions need to be done behind closed doors.

Just one more note in respect to others like Tamsyn Manou and Lachlan Renshaw, neither of them are in the team. Josh is already there in the team, it’s just a matter of some boofhead from AA nominating him for the 100m individual event. If Josh was not there as part of the relay, this would not be an issue.