Off The Podium - An Olympics Podcast

On this day, 25 years ago, the Opening Ceremony for the Sydney 2000 Olympics took place. What better way to celebrate than with our latest OPENING CEREMONY REVIEW episode, looking back at that magical September night a quarter of a century ago! We cover all the highlights: horses, Nikki Webster (yes, Nikki Webster!), stomping, Vanessa Amorosi, giant fish, faulty cauldrons, and, did we mention Nikk...

We’re just days away from the 25th anniversary of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, an event forever etched as one of the most unforgettable moments in modern Australian history. Today, we look back on those glorious 16 days with someone who was front and centre, bringing the Games to over 20 million Australians: the incredible Johanna Griggs! Hear Johanna’s memories of that time, what it was like being t...

You loved our debut GAMES REVIEW episode last month, and we’re excited to be back with our latest edition diving into the wild world of the Paris 1900 Olympics! What exactly made these Games so crazy? Were they even technically Olympics? Did they feature the most unique and bizarre sports ever seen at the Games? Why did the event stretch on for so long? Did Canada finally decide to show up? Was Am...

Australia is no stranger to producing champion moguls skiers, and in Charlotte Wilson, we might just have found the next superstar. Fresh off her debut World Cup season, Charlotte turned heads with a stunning performance that not only earned her a breakthrough gold at the Olympic test event in Italy but also saw her crowned FIS Rookie of the Year. In this inspiring chat, Charlotte opens up about h...

For the first time on the show, we’re chatting with an Aussie male bobsledder, and what a story he has to tell! Cameron Scott joins us to share his incredible journey into the sport, how he found himself in the world of bobsleigh, and his dream of representing Australia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. We dive into his unique path to the ice, the current state of men’s bobsleigh in A...

We’re back with all the latest Olympic news in our newest NEWSCAST, featuring the amazing Jamie Lyko! This month, we dive into the biggest sporting stories from the past few weeks and explore how key Team OTP members have played a direct role in these events. We also highlight a special Australian event honoring past Olympians and explain why it was such a significant occasion. Plus, get ready for...

We’re back, sliding into another epic interview as we return to the world of bobsleigh, this time with our very first guest from the Czech Republic, David Bures! In this fascinating chat, we learn how David made the switch from rugby to the bobsleigh track, and what skills he’s been able to carry over from the field to the ice. He explains his position in the sled and just how crucial his role is...

It’s the sport the entire winter world is buzzing about ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics and yet, it’s one we’ve never featured on the show. That changes today as we dive into the adrenaline-pumping world of Ski Mountaineering, or "SkiMo", making its Olympic debut next year. Joining us is one of the sport’s biggest stars, Belgium’s Maximilien Drion, to give us the ultimate introduction to...

It’s time for another classic OPENING CEREMONY REVIEW, and this week we’re heading back to the last time the USA hosted a Summer Olympics, the 1996 Atlanta Games. Why does the ceremony feel more dated than it should? Why are we all-in on James Bond-style singers at these events? Does Celine Dion just live at the Olympics? Why is the star of this Opening Ceremony not actually Muhammad Ali? What do...

When we last spoke with triple Olympian Jenny Lyons, she was happily retired and embracing life beyond skiing. At the time, we playfully floated the idea of a comeback — something she admitted she’d love to do if the opportunity arose. Fast forward 15 months, and that opportunity has arrived. The Aussie freestyle and alpine skier is now charging towards a potential fourth Olympics in what could be...

When it comes to the voices of American Olympic coverage, Leigh Diffey is one of the true standouts. The Aussie broadcaster worked his way up from calling local motorcycle races in Queensland, all the way to becoming the voice of track and field at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics for NBC. But for Leigh, it was a journey he never planned — one that started on a completely different path, and some...

It’s time for another epic Newscast as we bring you up to speed with everything Olympic-related and continue our preview series of all the sports in the lead-up to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics! We share our thoughts on the newly unveiled medal designs for the 2026 Games – and why they might look familiar to keen Olympic fans. We also break down the schedule for the LA 2028 Olympics and explo...

Another massive interview coming through your speakers today as we chat with US Paralympic track and field superstar Ryan Medrano about his incredible rise in the sport and his recent experiences at the Paris 2024 Paralympics! We dive into how his time on Survivor —and his connection with a former guest of ours — helped steer him toward the Paralympics, and how he managed to rise through the ranks...

If you were to look up the words 'Olympic legend' in the dictionary, chances are you would find a photo of Australian cyclist Anna Meares. The four-time Olympian won six Olympic medals across her stellar career, including two gold, and has gone on to become one of the most respected figures in Australian sports administration after her role as the Chef de Mission for the Australian Olympic Team at...

It’s an exciting day on Off The Podium as we finally launch our long-awaited series diving into every Olympic Games in history! And where better to begin than the very first: the Athens 1896 Summer Olympics. In this jam-packed episode, we explore how the modern Olympics came to life, highlight the standout athletes, and explain why we’re so fascinated by massive bulges and murderous gold medallist...

It’s been over eight years since we last caught up with Australian freestyle skier David Morris, and a lot has happened since then. In 2018, he competed in his third and final Olympic Games — an appearance that saw him narrowly miss out on a second Olympic medal under controversial circumstances in the men’s aerials final. Seven years on from that moment, David reflects on the experience and share...

It’s Newscast time as we return with all the latest Olympic headlines and kick off our sports preview series ahead of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. Patrick Riley returns to the show to break down all the big stories, including the beginning of Kirsty Coventry’s IOC presidency, confirmation that NHL players will take part in next year’s Games, and a new city officially joining the race to h...

A very special bonus episode drops today, giving you a sneak peek at an incredible chat we’ve got coming next month. We sit down with the voice of track & field in the US, the legendary Leigh Diffey, for an exclusive preview of this weekend’s iconic Prefontaine Classic in Oregon — and what American viewers can expect from NBC’s coverage. It’s a great insight into a world-class event, delivered...

An absolute treat coming down your speakers today to celebrate July 4th as we welcome back to the show legendary American swimmer, and 'the voice of swimming', Rowdy Gaines to learn more about his incredible career both in and out of the pool! We find out from Rowdy just how he is still buzzing after the Paris Olympics, and how a prediction he made on this show came very true and if that makes him...

We're right back into the bobsleigh this week as we welcome back Aussie bobsledder Sarah Blizzard to catch up on everything that has happened since the 2022 Olympics, as well as how she is tracking towards Milano Cortina in 2026. We find out everything around her role in Beijing and learn just what an alternate bobsledder does during an Olympic Games, and how she was able to get through that perio...

We are so pumped and excited today to bring you back one of our favourite guests on this show as we sit down with Aussie bobsledder Ashleigh Werner to learn about her journey across the sport since we last spoke to her four years ago! We hear about overcoming heartbreak for the second time on her Olympic journey after not making the team for Beijing, and find out just how she has been able to reco...

Thought we had finished talking about the Paris 2024 Olympics? Think again! Because even though it's been less than a year since the Opening Ceremony of those Games, we're back to talk about it once again as we continue our Opening Ceremony review series by looking closely at the most unique Opening Ceremony in Olympics history. Is it perhaps too soon to chat about this again or has enough time pa...

We're back to the slopes today as we welcome back Aussie snowboarder Josie Baff to the show! Since we last spoke with Josie, she has gone on to massive success on the snowboard cross circuit, making her Olympic debut in 2022 as well as claiming World Championship silver in 2023 and multiple World Cup medals. We find out from Josie just what has brought about her success and how she is using it as...

It's Newscast time as we once again bring you all the latest Olympic news that has happened over the last month as Ben welcomes back the amazing Alex Loveless to the show to help him out! We find out what it was like to have Thomas Bach in Australia and learn why we are so jealous of high school kids in Brisbane. We also get some updates around some news from LA 2028 that we already knew, and news...

On a September Thursday evening in the year 2000, Ludi Wiggins was part of Australian Olympic history. Not only did she help break a 76-year medal drought for Australia at the Olympics in the sport of diving, she also became the first ever female to win an Olympic diving medal for her country, alongside her teammate Rebecca Gilmore in the women's synchronised 10 metre platform. Amazingly for the t...