- More than 40 Western Australian athletes travelling to Paris for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
- Each travelling WA athlete supported by a $5,000 Cook Government grant
- Olympics and Paralympics to run live on the big screen at Yagan Square
More than 40 Western Australian athletes will take to the world stage to do their State and country proud at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games, with support from the Cook Government.
With just weeks to go until the Olympic Games kick off in Paris on 26 July, Premier Roger Cook and Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman today farewelled some of the Western Australian athletes headed to Paris including six hockey stars selected this week.
Penny Squibb, Karri Somerville and travelling reserve Aleisha Power will join the Hockeyroos while Aran Zalewski, Jake Harvie and Tom Wickham will play for the Kookaburras.
Earlier this year the Cook Government announced a $5,000 grant for every Western Australian athlete selected to compete on the world stage in Paris.
The direct financial support is part of a $1.3 million investment towards the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which also includes $750,000 to the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Team Appeal, and $333,000 for the Western Australian Institute of Sport for athlete qualification and performance optimisation initiatives.
The Cook Government also today confirmed Western Australians will have the chance to come together and cheer on their favourite athletes, with Yagan Square broadcasting the Games from 7am to midnight on the big screen and digital towers each day of the Olympics and Paralympics.
Yagan Square will be one of several Olympics and Paralympics live sites around the country, delivering free live action and highlights to bring the community together for the Games.
The 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August and 28 August to 8 September 2024, respectively.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"The Olympics are just around the corner and I know the more than 40 West Aussie athletes heading to Paris will do us proud.
"My Government is proud to support these athletes, helping them to strive for their best on the world stage and bring home gold for Australia.
"I urge every Western Australian to get behind our athletes, head down to Yagan Square throughout the games to cheer them on, and let's show the world what West Aussie athletes are made of."
As stated by Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman:
"When we announced these grants we heard firsthand from athletes what the money means to them.
"World champion pole vaulter Nina Kennedy from Busselton got one of the payments when she represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and said it helps athletes to focus on doing what they need to do - to perform to the best of their abilities.
"Direct payments of our grants to athletes via the Western Australian Institute of Sport has given athletes control to spend the money as they want and need, and I thank WAIS for its role in facilitating the payments.
"The Cook Government is making a real difference for Olympics and Paralympics athletes as they excite and inspire the nation at the 2024 Games, this month and next month. We want all Western Australians to get behind our athletes. Go Australia!"
