The Aussie Matildas are excited to get going for the Paris Olympics starting this Thursday, but there has already been a huge mistake in preparing for their camp. They had everything ready – medical gear, kits, extra clothes, personal items, etc. — but couldn’t predict that the airline would lose one of their bags of luggage, stranding some of their critical medical equipment and luggage in Spain.
As if the Olympics wasn’t stressful enough for players, coaches, and staff, this just added another layer of heightened tension to an already-tense time. Will the Matildas be able to cope with some flexibility and last-minute changes, or will this throw them off of their game for their first match?
Matildas Arrive in Paris Without Medical Equipment and Luggage
The Australian women’s national team touched down in Paris, France, two days ago — but were missing half of their luggage. Some of the team’s bags, which included the kit, extra socks, medical equipment, medicine, physiotherapy tools, and other key items, had been stuck in Spain. Now, they are forced to either carry on and wait for their gear, or purchase new items while they are in Paris, France.
The Matildas’ first game is in just two days from now, showing just how dire the situation is. Without proper physical conditioning, rehabilitation, and physiotherapy, professional athletes are nowhere near ready to play in an intense game like an Olympic group match. They need to visit the physio every day for massages, stretching, and taking care of any long-term issues that players might have.
Without the physiotherapy bag and medical equipment, they are at a serious disadvantage compared to other teams who are well prepared. Instead of waiting for their gear, the medical director opted to purchase new items in Paris to ensure their players weren’t missing more than a day of treatment before the big game. Meares, the head medical staff for the team, discussed the issue.
It is still currently in Spain and we are working with Football Australia to resolve this issue. They are still able to train and prepare, and they have their training and playing kit with them. But there are some items of personal luggage, some medical items and other equipment that are still on the ground in Spain.
This luggage was meant to be on several flights yesterday, but it did not happen. It’s not ideal, but hopefully today we can make some progress and have some of the personal items and medical equipment purchased in Marseille...”
They were able to replace some of the more generic equipment, like tape for strapping ankles, scissors for cutting said tape, and oxygen kits in a nearby town during their travels. For a short while, the situation has created problems for the Australian team as this might hamper their time to prepare for the upcoming prestigious event. The world is only a few days away from the Olympics to begin.
Matildas in the 2024 Olympics
The Matildas will have to forget their travel woes and make sure they’re set to take on big-name teams like Germany, Zambia, and the United States in Group B this week. They have a tough draw for their group, with Zambia shocking everyone at the World Cup last year with their athletic style of play, Germany always bringing toughness and dynamic movement to their squad, in the United States looking rejuvenated under Emma Hayes’ leadership.
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