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he Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has announced the Australian Olympic Team ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with 472 set to represent Australia.

Among that team of 472 athletes is a record number of women and indigenous athletes for an Australian Olympic Team, with 254 women and 16 indigenous athletes set to compete in Tokyo this month.

The Olympic Team will also be the second largest Team Australia has sent to an overseas Games, with the 2004 Athens Olympics holding onto its record of 482 Australian athletes.

Australian Olympic Team chef de mission, Ian Chesterman, said: “This has been extremely difficult for every athlete, and each has their own individual story to tell.”

“But they have made it.

“Through their determination and commitment, they are going to Tokyo.

“Even before these Games are declared open on July 23rd, this Australian Team has made its own history.

“They are a special Team and Australians can be very proud of them.

“I would also like to pay tribute to those athletes for whom the postponement and global environment prevented them from being a part of this Team.

“Whether that’s through injury and retirement, lack of safe access to qualification events or through difficult personal circumstances, many have been forced to make that tough call.

“I can promise these athletes that this Team carries their legacy and their contributions in their hearts all the way to Tokyo and into the heat of Olympic competition,” Chesterman said.

Chesterman also said the work of the AOC member sports, Federal and State Governments, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), AOC staff, and volunteers have made the hopes of Olympic success possible for the 472 athletes.

“It has taken an extraordinary amount of effort to deal with the complexity of getting our delegation, in total 990 people, to the point where they can safely travel to Tokyo from all parts of the world,” Chesterman said.

“But through agile planning and responding quickly to the measures announced by the IOC and our Japanese hosts along the way, we are ready.

“The athletes know what lies ahead of them and will comply with all the measures in place to keep themselves safe and keep the Japanese people safe,” he said.

Prior to the announcement, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games saw a record number of women represent Australia with 214, and the Sydney 2000 Olympics saw the record number of indigenous athletes represent Australia with 12.