It was never going to be as good as Paris. Australia’s record-breaking medal haul at the 2024 Olympics set the bar so high for athletics, the team at this year’s world championships in Tokyo was always unlikely to measure up.

In Paris, Australia won seven medals – one gold, two silver and four bronze – which was the biggest medal haul at an Olympics since the 1956 Games in Melbourne.

By comparison in Tokyo this month Australia won four medals – a gold for Nicola Olyslagers on the last night , and three bronze. At the last worlds in Budapest, Australia won six medals – one gold, two silver, three bronze.

But in 2022 in Oregon, Australia won just three medals; in Doha in 2019 Australia won just one medal, though it was a gold.

Matching Paris or Budapest was never going to happen once

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