Already Australia’s oldest female Olympian, equestrian Mary Hanna will this summer become the second-oldest female Olympian (outside of art competitions) in history, barring an older woman being named to another country’s team.
According to Olympedia.org, the 66-year-old will be second among women only to Great Britain’s Lorna Johnstone, who was 70 in the 1972 equestrian competition.
Hanna will also become the oldest Australian Olympian, surpassing art competitor James Quinn, who was 62 at the 1932 Games.
Australia announced its 472-member Olympic team on Sunday, which includes Hanna and table tennis player Jian Feng Lay on their sixth teams.
Hanna’s best Olympic finish in individual dressage is 24th at the 1996 Games, with a top team result of sixth in 2000. Lay, now 48, reached the third round in 2016 for her best women’s singles result.
Equestrian Andrew Hoy, who previously won four Olympic medals in eventing, is competing in an Australian-record eighth Olympics at 62.
Australia will compete in all sports other than fencing, team handball and wrestling, including the four making their debut -- climbing, karate, skateboarding, surfing -- plus the returning softball.
Its 254 women is the nation’s largest women’s contingent for a foreign Olympics (Australia had 276 women in Sydney in 2000), and the highest percentage of women on an Australian Olympic team (53.8%).
Sixteen of the athletes, including tennis world No. 1 Ash Barty, are Indigenous.
Australia was as high as fourth in the Olympic medal table in recent history (2000, 2004) but placed 10th in Rio five years ago.
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