Tara Murray
Western Athletics Amy Cashin will get a second shot at the Olympics.
Cashin was named in the Australian athletics team of 75 that will head to the Games and will compete in the steeplechase..
Cashin, who claimed her second national title in the women’s steeplechase earlier this year, will keep in her second Games.
She made her Australian senior debut at the Tokyo Games running her second fastest time at that stage of her career.
The Western Athletics star is based in America.
Cashin said it feels unreal to be competing at a second Olympics.
“I’m stoked and super excited to be able to put on the green and gold again at the highest level,” she said. “A lot of hours have been put into this, and it makes it so much sweeter when you get to live out a childhood dream for a second time.
“At the start of the year I was not as confident, last year was a wee bit rough, and I was mentally struggling, however as soon as I started to feel more like myself and was truly enjoying all the steps I knew that I had a great chance of making the team.
“The last few months I was quite confident I would make it, however, you never truly know. Obviously there is an incredible amount of girls right now running fast so nothing is ever for sure, however I knew I was capable of being competitive with them and that if I just kept following the plan then it would work out.
“I took the mindset that if I am doing everything I can and in my control and I don’t make it then I simply was not good enough this year and would need to work towards the next cycle- I think that helped to alleviate a lot of internal pressure.”
Cashin said for her she wants to race a race that she is proud of. A finals spot would be amazing
“I would like to run faster than I ever have before.”
After her family had to watch on tv last Olympics, they will make the trip across to Pari along with five close friends and two coaches.
Cashin said right now its just fine tuning things in the lead up, getting in some hard training sessions before heading over to France for the Aussie staging camp on July 24.
Joining Cashin at the Olympics is Joseph Deng, who has been named in his first Olympic team.
The Truganina resident will compete in the men’s 800 metres.
He recaptured the national record in the 800 metres in late 2023 having previously set it five years before.
Deng, who is currently in Africa, said he’s excited that he’ll be part of the track and field team.
