WA hockey stars shine: Hockeyroos and Kookaburras earn spots in Paris Olympic squads

Six of WA’s brightest hockey stars will be en route to Paris as part of the 2024 Olympic squads for the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras.

Kensington’s Karri Somerville and Tambellup’s Penny Squibb have both been nominated to be part of the Hockeyroos’ Olympic squad, while Northam’s Aleisha Power has been named as a travelling reserve.

Paris will serve as Somerville’s second Olympic Games, after being part of the Tokyo 2020 Hockeyroos squad, while Squibb will make her Olympic debut after missing out on competing in Tokyo 2020 due to injury.

Margaret River-raised Kookaburras skipper Aran Zalewski, Dardanup’s Jake Harvie and Perth-based Tom Wickham have all been nominated for the Kookaburras’ Olympic squad.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be Zalewski’s third Olympic appearance after previously competing in Rio 2016 and as part of the silver medal-winning Tokyo 2020 squad.

Wickham becomes a two-time Olympian after previously being part of the Tokyo 2020 squad that won silver, while Jake Harvie will make his Olympic debut.

Hockey WA chief executive officer Fabian Ross wished his congratulations to the athletes on behalf of Hockey WA and the wider WA hockey community.

“Hockey WA is incredibly proud of our athletes who have been selected for the Paris Olympics,” he said.

“Their dedication, hard work and passion for the sport have truly paid off.

“It’s especially exciting to see strong regional representation among the players, highlighting the depth of talent across Western Australia.

“We look forward to watching them represent our state and country with pride and excellence on the world stage.”

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games takes place from Friday 26 July to Sunday 11 August, with the Hockey tournament set to take place from Saturday 27 July to Saturday 10 August.