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 jus...
Apr 17, 2024•36 min•Ep. 360
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 ...
Apr 11, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 359
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 ultimate...
Apr 04, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 358
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 app...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 357
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 jus...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 356
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 wi...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 355
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 t...
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 354
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 h...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 353
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 push...
Feb 22, 2024•57 min•Ep. 352
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 ...
Feb 15, 2024•41 min•Ep. 351
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 b...
Feb 08, 2024•4 hr 39 min•Ep. 350
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 we...
Feb 02, 2024•46 min•Ep. 349
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 ...
Jan 26, 2024•59 min•Ep. 348
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 ju...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 347
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...
Jan 11, 2024•53 min•Ep. 346
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 ...
Jan 04, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 345
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...
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 344
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...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 343
We're back for another classic Opening Ceremony review as this time we go into the Winter Olympics once again as well as the 1980s once more as we travel back to the then Yugoslavia for the 1984 Sarajevo Opening Ceremony! We try to analyse whether the coverage from ABC America skewed our opinion of this chat in a good or a bad way and try to find out just why so many countries looked sad to be at the Olympics in 1984. We also find out if we love Yugoslavian ABBA, try to work out why the Presiden...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 342
A real treat coming down your speakers today as we return to the great sport of fencing for the first time in over two years by speaking with Canadian Olympian Joseph Polossifakis about his extraordinary career and the extraordinary circumstances he has overcome to achieve everything he has along the way. We learn from Joe the reasons behind his fencing journey and why going to school helped him pursue his fencing dream. We also learn about the extraordinary circumstances that nearly derailed hi...
Dec 07, 2023•50 min•Ep. 341
The sport of softball has had a varied history at the Olympics which makes it quite difficult for aspiring Olympians to pursue a career in the sport. For one athlete though, a taste of an Olympics as a kid was enough to set her down a path towards that goal in the sport, no matter what obstacles stood in her way! That amazing athlete is Ellen Roberts from Australia, and she joins us on the show today to talk about her incredible journey in the sport that saw her go from being obsessed with the O...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 340
We don't need to tell you how much we love the sport of handball and today we're excited to welcome our first ever Olympic handball player to the show to talk about his incredible career and the amazing sport itself! Taip Ramadani represented Australia at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and has since gone on to forge a successful career in the sport and is the current coach of the men's national handball team. And in an incredible chat, Taip joins us to go over his early roots in the sport and his i...
Nov 23, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 339
We like to get our kicks with some great interviews here on Off The Podium and we're returning to our great interviews by bringing you an amazing chat with Australian 2020 Tokyo Olympian Stacey Hymer to learn about her journey in the great sport of Taekwondo and more about this incredible sport that saw her achieve her dream of becoming an Olympian! We find out just what drew her into the sport and what the progression was like from a junior right through to her Olympic debut. We also find out a...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 338
Well it's been a fun ride but it's time to draw to a close our coverage of our first ever Pan Am Games as we give our final look at Santiago 2023! Just how did we feel it all finished up? How excited are we to see a mascot be given a medal in a Closing Ceremony? What did we think of artistic roller sports? How is Colin feeling after seeing breaking? How hard is it to measure a race walk course? How did we go in our predictions? Why are we all on board with Fiu as a mascot? And how pumped are we ...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 337
Another week of the 2023 Pan American Games is behind us and we're back once again to go over all the action that has happened with your favourite Olympics Podcast! Just how are we feeling with Canada's performance and how are we feeling with just a few days remaining with our predictions? How about our feelings on Paraguay? Suriname? Or even the hosts Chile? Why does America just have to keep winning? Why do we fully believe Basque pelota is a fake sport that doesn't exist? Since when has Ben s...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 336
The Pan Am Games are here for 2023 and we're back to give our take on the opening week of action, the opening ceremony and everything else in between in another epic episode! What have we made of the opening week of the action, when we've actually been able to watch it? Who is Lucy Lopez and we do we love her so much? How epic is water skiing? What have we made of Canada's performance so far? How underwhelming is the Pan Am commentary? How excited are we over the performance of Suriname? And why...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 335
With only nine months to go until the Paris Olympics, what better way to get you into the mood for a massive multisport event than by covering the biggest multisport event in the Americas in 2023! That's right, for the first ever time we're covering a PanAm Games, as the best athletes from both North & South America head to Santiago for the 19th edition of the event. And for the very first time on Off The Podium it's Colin who gets to run the ship, as he brings us all up to speed on the PanA...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 334
We always love chatting to athletes on the show who specialise in one sport, but what about an athlete who has reached the pinnacle in two? That's exactly what we're bringing you today as we speak with American Olympian Erin Aldrich-Shean about her unique career in both high jump and volleyball and her drive to reach the top in both sports! We find out from Erin just how that usual childhood ability to play multiple sports made her into a two-sport athlete and what moment in her youth made her d...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 333
It's time for an absolutely MASSIVE interview today as we are delighted to bring you a chat with American figure skating legend and two-time Olympian Johnny Weir to learn more about his iconic career both on and off the ice! We find out from Johnny just which other Olympic sport he could've become a household name in and just how he was able to turn something unique into ice in order to teach himself to skate. We also learn from him all the incredible obstacles he had to overcome in order to mak...
Oct 05, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 332
It's been a few months since our last CLASSIC OPENING CEREMONY REVIEW but we're back to bring you our take on the Calgary 1988 Opening Ceremony in true Off The Podium style! How is Colin feeling being able to talk about our first Canadian Olympics in this segment? Do we appreciate the 3 hour advertisement for the Alberta tourism board? Why is there so much dancing? Seriously. So. Much. Dancing. Why was the Governor General of Canada so lazy in 1988? Why did Calgary love Australia so much in 1988...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 331
