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The Queen of Danidou and the King of Sydney South are jointly seeking Australia’s first Bocce gold medal.
The revamped wheelchair basketball team is looking for the right balance of youth and experience.
The rowing giants are eager to win their first gold medal in their events.
And the groundbreaking wheelchair rugby team is aiming to avenge a rare medal-free finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
These are the Australian Paralympic team going for gold in Paris.
Bocce: Jamieson Lesson and Dan Michel
The B3 group in boccia consists of world number one Dan Michel and Jamieson Leeson. （AAP: Bianca De Marchi）
Dan Michel made his petanque debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, but it was at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games that his legend was truly born.
He became the first Australian to medal in the sport since 1996, taking bronze in the mixed BC3 event.
But he suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the mixed doubles, where he and teammates Spencer Cotie and Jamison Lesson were eliminated before the semifinals.
In Paris he will compete in the BC3 doubles event with Jamieson Leeson.
Leeson, from the small town of Dunedoo in central western New South Wales, began her bocce journey a year before her Olympic debut in 2021.
From there, she and Michel built a hybrid two-person machine with ramp operators Ash Maddern and Jasmine Hayden.
With numerous titles to her name, including the 2023 Montreal World Cup title, the king and queen of petanque is ranked number one in the world heading into the tournament in Paris.
The AIS 2023 Team of the Year is most likely to make history and win Australia’s first gold medal in the sport.
Wheelchair Football: Steelers
The Australian Steelers will celebrate victory at the International Wheelchair Rugby World Cup in Paris in October 2023. （Credit: Australian Paralympic Committee/Megumi Masuda）
Australia’s wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers, is a powerhouse in the sport.
Like the All Blacks in rugby league or Brazil in football, the Steelers have been the hardest team to beat for a long time in their existence.
But after winning consecutive gold medals in London and Rio, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics suffered the embarrassment of zero medals for the first time in 17 years.
In 2024, the team will go to Paris with the confidence of reclaiming the Paralympic crown after their victory at the 2022 World Championships.
The team will be led by wheelchair rugby royalty Ryley Batt and Chris Bond and will feature three record-breaking female players in Shae Graham, Emilie Miller and Ella Sabljak.
Graham competed in her Paralympic debut in 2021, becoming the first female wheelchair rugby player to represent Australia at the Paralympic Games.
Miller and Sablyak have been regulars for the Steelers since the Tokyo Olympics, and their rise is largely due to pioneering Graham.
“She really opened the door for us female players.” Sablyak told ABC Sports in 2023.
Once known as “murder ball,” the sport is known for its hard hitting and brutal play and remains a crowd favorite.
Wheelchair Basketball: Roller Skating
Tristan Knowles, captain of the Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team. （AAP: Bianca De Marchi）
The Australian men’s wheelchair basketball team advanced to Paris with an outstanding performance.
In 2023 they will have 18 wins from 21 games, meaning they are on track to compete for a medal for the first time since 2012.
The team has six first-time Paralympic players, but experienced players are the backbone of the team, with Sean Norris and captain Tristan Knowles looking to break records and add luster to the team in its sixth Paralympic Games.
Knowles and Norris both competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning Australia’s only gold medal in the event.
Notably, two of the youngest members of the team, Jaylen Brown and Eithen Leard, were born after that victory.
Finding the right balance between youth and experience is key to success in roller skating.
That balance will be tested early on, with a group-stage showdown against defending gold medalist United States looming.
The Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team will not compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is only the second time in the team’s history that it has failed to qualify.
Rowing: Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager
Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager are the favorites to win the gold medal in Paris. （ABC News: Brent Cumming）
Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager are looking to win their first Paralympic gold medals in their respective events.
The two met at an Australian rowing camp in 2017, but did not really bond until the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games announced that the PR3 mixed double sculls would be included in the program for the first time.
Although 2023 was the first season for both men, they did achieve excellent results.
They broke the world record by a full 20 seconds, then broke it again before eventually winning the world championship in Serbia.
It all culminated in the duo being named the 2023 World Para-Rowing Team of the Year.
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