The 2022 Olympic Winter Games have come to an end: congratulations to our Deakin elite-athlete students!
Now that the 2022 Olympic Winter Games have reached the finish line over the weekend, we congratulate the Deakin elite-athlete students who have made us proud in Beijing!
Bree Walker fought hard for a historic fifth place in the monobob, Belle Brockhoff put her body on the line to finish fourth in the women’s snowboard cross, Jakara Anthony got us out of our seats as she claimed gold in the women’s moguls and Dean Hewitt kept his cool amid a drama-fuelled curling mixed doubles event.
Bree Walker
It’s been an action-packed week for Deakin alum Bree Walker, who kicked off her bid to boost Australia’s record medal tally last weekend.
The former Bachelor of Health and Physical Education student launched her debut Olympic campaign in the inaugural monobob event, where she finished just shy of the podium in fifth position.
Bree mounted a brave comeback after finding herself in tenth position at the end of the first run, threatening to outpace the field when she recorded the second-fastest time of the round in her final run. Her final standing was ultimately just 0.43 seconds short of bronze and a landmark in Australian sport – the country’s best Olympic bobsled finish.
‘I fought back today and the girls who are out there who were in front of me are the best pilots in the world, so to be fifth behind them at my first Olympics, I’m so chuffed. I’m so happy,’ said Bree.
Bree completed her Olympic campaign alongside brakewoman Kiara Reddingius on Sunday in the two-woman bobsleigh event, with the pair finishing in sixteenth place.
Belle Brockhoff
Triple Olympian and current Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws student Belle Brockhoff has inspired through a tough Olympic campaign which, despite her own personal disappointment, demonstrated bravery, determination and team spirit.
Belle overcame a pre-event training crash and fought back from qualifying to claim an impressive fourth-place finish in the women’s snowboard cross.
While giving us a scare after a crash in the mixed snowboard quarter-finals, Belle has since been given the all-clear. She returned to the Athletes Village reportedly in good spirits and, in no surprise, is already looking toward her next challenge.
‘I am disappointed that I haven’t reached the goals of a medal at these Games but the goal of learning every race, every lap has been consistently hit. As always, I’ll reflect, set more goals from these Games and keep learning as much as I can,’ Belle said.
We couldn’t be prouder of Belle and we wish her a speedy recovery!
Jakara Anthony
A huge congratulations to Jakara Anthony, who has already arrived home from Beijing with her gold medal!
Currently a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science student at Deakin, Jakara managed to score Australia’s first gold medal in Beijing in her Women’s Moguls event after dominating the qualification trials.
Dean Hewitt
Deakin alumnus Dean Hewitt’s Olympic debut just about had it all, with his mixed doubles curling event filled with excitement, drama, and success.
Dean, who studied both a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology, was initially faced with a premature end to his Olympic campaign before it had even begun when partner Tahli Gill was caught in a COVID-19 scare.
An eleventh-hour reversal meant the pair were able to compete, going on to record Australia’s maiden victories in the sport over 2018 Olympic silver medallists Switzerland and defending champions Canada.
Stay tuned for the Winter Paralympics!
The Winter Olympic Games may have come to a close, but the good news is the Paralympic Games are right around the corner! You won’t want to miss alpine skier and Deakin alum Mitchell Gourley (left) as he heads to his fourth Winter Paralympic Games (4–13 March).
Good luck to Mitchell and all the Paralympians competing and be sure to follow their journeys in Beijing.
Are you an elite athlete studying at Deakin?
Check out our elite-athlete students’ profiles on the Deakin website and visit the Elite Athlete Program website to find out how the EAP could help you.
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