Off The Podium - An Olympics Podcast

An absolutely massive chat coming down your speakers today as we speak with an athlete who not only owns a piece of history, but is set to take the reigns of one of the biggest teams at the Paris Olympics. Anthony Nesty is a swimmer from Suriname who in 1988 created history by winning Suriname's first (and only) Olympic gold medal in the 100m butterfly, and further added to this tally by taking bronze in Barcelona in the same event. And if that wasn't enough for Anthony he is only months away from coaching the US men's swimming team at the Paris Olympics, with all the eyes of the world fixated on his team of superstars. In this great chat with Anthony, we learn about his rise through the swimming ranks and just what it meant to Suriname to have an Olympic gold medallist. We also learn more about the developments in swimming over the years and how different athletes are that he coaches now compared to himself when he was competing. Added to this we find out just how the mood is in the US Swim Team ahead of Paris, how they are feeling about Australia in the lead up to the Olympics and just whether or not Chairy can play a part in the team in July and August. It's an amazing chat with an amazing individual that you won't want to miss!

Our latest episode in our classic Olympic Opening Ceremony series is here as we once again go over an Opening Ceremony we have already covered in looking at the 2018 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony from PyeongChang in South Korea! Has this Opening Ceremony actually improved since we watched it six years ago? How excited are we to have so much mascot interaction in this ceremony? Why are we still disappointed by the lack of Psy, even though there is technically Psy in it? Are we in awe of the soprano singer still? Are we slowly becoming nostalgic for Thomas Bach (Olympic Champion Fencing) and his very long speeches? And does this episode make us want to re-visit some other recent Opening Ceremonies for another look? It's all here in another epic episode that you won't want to miss!

A very special mid-week episode of Off The Podium coming your way today to celebrate 100 days to go till the Paris 2024 Olympics! Direct from the Australian Olympic Team's opening ceremony uniform launch in Sydney, we speak to Aussie Chef de Mission for Paris 2024 and Olympic legend Anna Meares, as well as Olympians Michelle Heyman, Tilly Kearns, Mariafe Artacho del Solar, Tom Green and Nick Malouf about their thoughts on the uniform as well as just how they are preparing for the Olympics in just 100 days time. It's one massive episode to celebrate one massive occasion that you simply can't miss!

It's a return to the Winter Olympics today as we sit down with Aussie Olympian Jenny Lyons to chat about her incredible skiing career across two different sports that took her to three Olympics and a whole bunch of success along the way! We learn from Jenny just what took her into skiing and what the scene was like in the sport of alpine in Australia during her early years. We also find out about her three Olympic appearances and her honest assessment of why the Olympics weren't always the best experiences for her. Added to this we find out about her bronze medal at the X Games in 2012, what Australia needs in order to get more people involved in alpine skiing and just what could lead her out of retirement once again to give a fourth Olympics a crack. It's a fun interview that you will get a lot out of so be sure to tune in!

After a couple of years away from talking to sport climbing athletes we now bring you two in the space of two weeks as we sit down with Campbell Harrison to learn about his career in the sport as he gears up for his Olympic debut in Paris! We find out from Campbell just what drew him into the sport and the progression he made towards his Olympic qualification. We also learn about the qualification process in the lead up to Tokyo and the incredibly difficult decisions he had to make that ultimately cost him a spot on the team for the Olympics. Added to this we learn more about the unique parts of his body he has to train in order to bring in peak performance, just what he hopes to achieve in Paris as well as just why Chairy could be used as a motivational tool for him heading into his first Olympics. It's a great chat that you won't want to miss!

It's been nearly three years since we last spoke to an athlete from sport climbing and today we finally fix that drought by speaking with Australian Olympian Oceania Mackenzie about her incredible career in the sport, Olympic experiences in Tokyo and what to expect from her second Olympic appearance in Paris later this year! We find out from Oceania how she got started in the sport and at what event she competed at that sparked her passion for the sport even further towards her debut Olympic appearance. We also learn about the mental aspect of the sport and whether doing puzzles can help when it comes to competing. Added to this we learn more about her hopes for Paris later this year, just why she loves vlogging so much and what bonus aspect of becoming an Olympic gold medallist will spur her towards glory at the Olympics even more. It's a fun chat that you can't miss!

It's time to get to another triple threat of an athlete today as we speak to the incredible Hannah MacDougall about her career in three different sports and just how he third sport could bring her back to the Paralympics after a 16-year absence. He learn from Hannah about the challenges she overcame to get to where she has today, including how swimming came about and how that lead her to a Paralympic medal at the age of 17. We also learn what it was that brought about a switch to cycling and just how the pain of missing out on three Paralympics has helped spur her towards her goal to make it back. Added to this we hear about her new path in para triathlon, which famous Aussie Olympian she is roommates with and just why she avoids eating chicken nuggets. It's a fascinating chat that you can't miss! So get to listening! 

Your favourite series is back as we bring you our latest OPENING CEREMONY REVIEW episode by going back the furthest we can possibly go in this series and bringing our take on the opening ceremony for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Just how can we judge an opening ceremony that is over 50 years old? How amazing are Mongolian wrestlers in 1972? Does anything actually happen in this opening ceremony? Why do all the women seemingly have handbags during the parade of nations? What is the deal with Canada and feathers? And do we need more doves? Get in that time machine and get ready for another fun episode as we go back in time in style! 

It's been just over a month since we wrapped up our coverage of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympics and today we're excited to speak with Australian Ice Hockey player Jasmin Mayor about her experiences at the games and why she is still buzzing after her experiences in Korea! We learn from Jasmin how her rapid ascent through the ice hockey ranks landed her a spot on the Australian team for the Youth Olympics and just what it meant to her when she discovered she was going. We also learn about the experiences competing at a Youth Olympics and just what the vibe was like on the ground in the Australian team. Added to this we find out why she is perhaps very well suited to our show given her obsession with the Olympics, why it was a good thing there were some highly trained doctors on her team and just when she plans on changing out of her Olympic team uniform. It's a great chat with a great insight into the Youth Olympics, so get to listening and be entertained and informed!

It's been way too long since we've had a Paralympic athlete on this show and finally today we rectify that with an incredible chat with Australian para triathlete Anu Francis about her extraordinary career. We find out from Anu her incredible journey to getting into para triathlon and just how she went from not knowing how to swim, to winning a silver medal at the World Championships within three years. We also find out just how she went from para badminton to para rowing to para triathlon and how her very unique condition was a catalysts to get her heavily involved in the world of sports after initially turning to another career. Added to this we find out more about her rivalry and friendship with her key medal opponents come the Paris Paralympics, find out just why her artistic skills may bring a unique gift to the world and discover just why a Welsh prison affected one of her most important races of her career. It's an amazing chat with so much to learn from, so sit back and listen and enjoy! 

2024 is a historic year for the Olympics with the inclusion of breaking for the very first time. And one athlete creating history with the inclusion of the sport is Australian Jeff Dunne, who will become the first ever Australian male to compete at the Olympic Games in the sport. Added to his historic qualification, Jeff will do so at the ripe age of 16, making him the youngest breaker to be competing at the Paris Olympics. But despite his age, Jeff is vastly experienced in the sport and is pushing towards bringing home a medal for Australia. We learn from Jeff about his background and his journey into the sport and why his 'addiction' to breaking has pushed him to great success in both Australia and overseas. We also learn just how much he trains and what is involved in his training regime and how he hopes to amp that up in the coming months before the Olympics. Added to this we find out just what unique diet he has that helps him perform, the emotion of securing qualification for the Olympics and why we might have helped him a little towards securing a medal in Paris. It's an epic chat that you simply cannot miss!

Are you ready for a legendary interview from an absolute legend of the Olympics? If you answered yes, you've come to the right place, as we sit down with the iconic Donovan Bailey to hear more about his incredible career that has made him a true Canadian icon. We learn from Donovan just which other sport he could've been an Olympian in, and how he still competes in that sport to this day. We also find out more about just how his path into sprinting was so unique and how he was able to reach the highest level so quickly. Added to this we learn more about his mental preparedness for that race in Atlanta off the back of the tragic bombing that happened the same day, find out more about how he was able to use his supreme confidence to get the best out of himself and help Colin and his children to carry the Canadian sprinting legacy into the future. It's an incredible chat that no Olympic fan can miss, so get to listening and enjoy!

Another 50 episodes have passed since our last BEST OF episode which means it's time to bring out another clip show and celebrate the last 50 episodes that have kept you entertained and informed for the last year! You'll hear all those classic moments from episodes 301-349, including our coverage from the 2023 Women's World Cup and PanAm Games, 2024 Winter Youth Olympics as well as every interview and episode that was done in between. Excited? You should be! So sit back, relax and listen as we bring you the best bits of the last 50 episodes in true Off The Podium style!

It felt like the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics just started but sadly they're now over and that means it's time for us to bring them home in true Off The Podium style as we review the second week of action, give our take on the Closing Ceremony and review the games as a whole! We find out from the gang just what their highlight of the week was and why we are currently very scared of New Zealand and their capability in winter sports. We also find out just how good it is to see Italy do so well as well as just why Colin is good at math all of a sudden and why that bodes well for Italy, Germany and France moving forward. Added to this we talk up more on Moongcho, find out why Jennifer Garner is somehow involved this week and continue to get sad about Thomas Bach, Olympic Champion Fencing, leaving his post as IOC President later this year. It's an action-packed episode to fully bring the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics to a close!

The Youth Olympics are here! And after an action packed week in Korea, Ben & Colin are back to go over everything to do with the Olympics and give their viewpoints on all the big talking points! Just why do we think the opening ceremony might've been the best one we've seen in a decade? What do we think of Thomas Bach (Olympic Champion, fencing) taking selfies and doing fist bumps? Why is Australia gloating so much after their big win in ice hockey against the Netherlands? What has happened to the coverage in Canada? And why are we so pumped for Tunisia, Brazil and Thailand? It's been a fun ride so far with plenty more to come so get into the zone and get into the Youth Olympics!

We've teased and teased about covering our first ever YOUTH OLYMPICS and finally they're here! And for the very first time we're set to bring you our unique look at the Youth Olympics as we get set to be excited for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, Korea! Ben & Colin go over just what they are excited about from these unique Olympics and why sometimes the Youth Olympics can be more entertaining to watch. We also learn more about the mascot, more about Gangwon and Korea and learn just how equal these games are going to be! It's an epic episode for an epic occasion that you won't want to miss in any epic way! So get to listening and get excited for the first of two Olympics in 2024!

We are a week away from the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea and we have a very special episode today to get you in the mood! Today we are speaking with the head coach of the Australian 3x3 Women's Ice Hockey team, Remi Harvey, to learn more about the sport, her role in Australian Ice Hockey and just what it means for the sport in Australia to have a team back at the Olympic Games! We find out from Remi her background in the sport and why playing ice hockey in Australia is just part of the family for her. We also learn the intricacies around the 3x3 version and why it will create a fairly open field for the Youth Olympics. Added to this we hear just what the Aussie style of play is and why teams hate playing against us, just what special activity Remi does to help with team bonding and whether we can influence the official team name heading into the games. It's a great chat that you'll love every second of! So get to listening and get pumped ahead of the Youth Olympics!

2024 is here! An Olympic year! And as we get closer and closer to Paris 2024, what better way to start the year with an interview with an athlete who will be competing at the Olympics in July and is in with a real shot at winning a medal, Aussie triathlete Matthew Hauser! Matt goes over his journey through the sport, including his early 'addiction' to triathlon that set him on his future career path and which other sport he very nearly pursued instead. We also learn from Matt how the heartbreak of not being able to compete in the Youth Olympics in 2014 helped push him further in his career as well as getting an insight into his two very unique Commonwealth Games experiences in 2018 and 2022. Added to this we learn more about his Olympic experiences in Tokyo and the difficulties it brought, how his recent form is helping him towards Paris and find out how he thinks Kanye West would do at triathlon. It's an incredible chat that is the perfect way to start off your year! Don't miss it!

It's time to close out 2023 in style as we go back to the sport of taekwondo and chat with Aussie Leon Sejranovic, fresh off his recent World Championship performance which saw him bring home Australia's first medal in a Taekwondo World Champs in a decade! We learn from Leon about his rapid progression through the sport and how two former Olympians helped him along his journey and inspire him towards his Olympic dreams. We also learn just how close he was to making his Olympic debut in Tokyo and just how his performances have been able to be so strong in the subsequent years. Added to this we hear more about his incredible 2023 World Championship run, learn why going up a weight division for the Olympics is a whole bunch of fun and also discover just why Chairy could be the reason for him winning gold at the Olympics. It's a blast of a chat that you won't want to miss!If you wish to purchase a shirt to help Leon get to Paris next year, click here: https://bit.ly/3NtlnZb

As we get to the very pointy end of 2023 we are back to bring you an epic interview with an incredible athlete from the incredible sport of alpine skiing, Madi Hoffman! Madi goes over her journey into the sport and how growing up in Australia led her to chasing winter all the way on the other side of the world. We also learn just how committed her family were to ensuring her and her brothers were able to pursue their athletic dreams and just how she was able to rise through the ranks so far away from home. Added to this we learn more about the most emotional filled 24 hours of her life that saw her qualify for the Olympics before getting her dream snatched away from her, her recent groundbreaking result in the alpine skiing world cup and for the very first time get an guests insight into our brand new mascot, Chairy! It's an incredible chat that you simply can't miss! So get to listening!