Caitlin Parker Makes Olympic History In Paris

Caitlin Parker Makes Olympic History In Paris

“I still have my dream of that Olympic gold medal, I want that medal so bad.” The words of Caitlin Parker when she first spoke to FightPost in 2021.

It was just a few months since the Australian saw her Olympic dream end in agony and disappointment in Tokyo. But Parker never stopped believing that in Paris, it would be very different.

I caught up with Parker just before she left to finalise her Olympic preparations.

“I want to win an Olympic gold medal more than anything. It’s what I think about all the time. It’s all I have ever dreamed of,” she told me. I sensed that this time it would indeed be different. And so it proved.

On Sunday, Caitlin Parker made a little slice of history when she became the first-ever Australian female to claim an Olympic medal. The only thing we don’t yet know is what colour that medal will be.

The Moroccan world champion Khadija Mardi would have been expecting to derail those Olympic dreams of Parker in their 75kg quarter-final on Sunday. But the talented Australian had other ideas. A well-deserved 4-1 split decision over Mardi, a three-time World Amateur Champion, secured Parker that Olympic medal. On Thursday against Li Qian of China, Parker will look to do even better. A win over Qian will give Parker a chance to fight for gold. She seems in the mood to do exactly that.

Like many, Parker had her preparations for Tokyo badly hampered by the pandemic, and she promised that we would see the real Caitlin Parker in Paris. So far, she has been true to her word.

Photo Credit: AP