BRENDAN COREY
Olympic Winter Games Attended
BIOGRAPHY
Brendan Corey’s aspirations to represent Australia in short track skating took off after a simple conversation with Australian Ice Racing officials.
He heard about the effort being given to take the national short track program back to the heights of the 1990s, at a time when Steven Bradbury was competing, and soon after that chat he left the trail to the Canadian team selection for the Australian program. A concussion Corey suffered just before he made the switch in 2019 also proved to be a catalyst. “I thought the Australian program might be an interesting route for me to take. It just seemed like the stars were aligned, and that I was meant to go down this path,” Corey said. By competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Corey made his Australian grandparents and mother, a Canadian-Australian dual citizen, proud. He attended a training camp in Australia in early 2020 and had the intention of moving to Australia permanently. However the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to change plans. Corey got to make the move in early 2021, but limited opportunities to get on the ice meant he and the short track team relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah to train with the United States team. He had a terrific 2021-22 season, culminating in a top-five finish over 1000m at the World Cup in Dordrecht, the Netherlands in November 2021. “Since I was a little boy I’ve always dreamed of being at the Olympics and this is just the next step of me getting there," Brendan said. In the 1000m at the Olympics, Corey's preferred event, he set a blistering time in his first heat of 1:23.908 to set an Australian record. That granted him direct entry to the quarter-finals. Such is the brutal nature of the sport, Brendan's 1000m campaign ended in a three-skater crash on the final corner of the quarter-finals. In the 500m event the Aussie finished as the 21st fastest skater in the heats when he needed to be in the top 20 to move on – a difference of just 0.079 of a second between progressing. Corey's time, 41.097 seconds over 500m, was a personal best. Corey started the 2022-2023 season in great form, setting a number of national records and equalling his best ever World Cup performances. In total, Corey had 7 x top-10 World Cup results, establishing himself as one of the best World Cup skaters on the circuit. Corey had a hugely successful ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Championships in Seoul, Korea, recording two top-10 performances in his best ever finish at the event. The result is Australia's best at the World Championships since the 1990's, when the men's relay team, featuring Olympic champion Steven Bradbury, had a number of top-five finishes. Corey started the 1500m event in great form, winning his opening quarter final heat to advance direct into the semi-finals. In the semi-final, Corey grabbed second place in a tight finish to make it through to his first ever World Championship A-final. Up against a field of eight skaters, Corey finished in sixth place setting a new personal best. On the final day of competition, Corey continued his strong skating into the 1000m reaching the semi-final for the second time in Seoul. With a spot in the A-Final on the line, Corey narrowly missed out finishing in third place, putting him in the B-Final. In the B-Final, Corey crossed the line in third, giving him his second top-10 for the World Championships in eighth place. Corey also competed in the 500m, his third distance at the World Championships, placing 26th. At the 2024 ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Championships in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Corey created history, becoming the first ever Australian to win an individual medal with a bronze medal in the 1500 metre distance. Previously Australia had last medalled at the World Championships in the men’s relay event - which featured Olympic gold medallist Steven Bradbury and Jim Lynch in the 500m, but never in the 1500m individual distance. Making the performance even more incredible, is that Corey trains and competes as an individual against a multiple of powerful European, North American and Asian nations that each have large full time national team programs. Q & AChildhood Ambition:
To go to the Olympics Proudest Moment: Qualifying for my first World Championships final in March 2023in 1500m. No Australian has achieved this (in this distance) since I have been on this planet. I began this sport .... When I was 8. I started out in hockey, but I didn't care where the puck was. I just wanted to skate fast! Participation in other sports: I did many other sports in grade school; track and filed, cross country, basketball, wresting, cycling Favourite overseas competition and why: It's hard to choose just one! I enjoy visiting many different countries and discovering the various cultures around the world! Sports Hero: None When I am not training/competing I am: Exploring our amazing country! Highest level of education achieved: Undergraduate degree in Supply Chain & Operations Management Sponsors: None LINKSOWIA News Search: Additional Links:
|
INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES
INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES |
|
|
|
