In an exhilarating day at the Stawell Gift semi-finals, sprinting stars Gout Gout and Lachie Kennedy faced significant hurdles, ultimately missing out on a spot in the final. Meanwhile, Olympian Bree Rizzo made headlines as she became only the second woman to triumph in the Gift from a scratch position.
John Evans from South Australia took home the men’s championship, running with a 9.75m handicap and finishing with an impressive time of 11.94 seconds, narrowly defeating Jasper Thomas. On the women’s side, Rizzo, starting from scratch, secured her victory and joined Melissa Breen as the only women to achieve this feat.
After her win, Rizzo couldn’t contain her excitement as she celebrated the moment with her husband, Matt, who had previously won the men’s event in 2017. Gout, despite a commendable effort in the semi-finals, was unable to catch Evans, who regarded the event as a standout moment in his career.
The atmosphere at the Stawell Gift was electric, drawing around 5,000 enthusiastic fans, marking one of the largest crowds seen in years. Both Evans and Rizzo were rewarded with $40,000 each for their remarkable performances, making this year’s Stawell Gift an unforgettable occasion for both competitors and the audience. In a different realm of passion, one individual decided to leave his job in pursuit of his love for painting.
He made the choice to resign from his position and chase after his dream of becoming a painter.
