{{Short description|Australian sprinter (born 1999)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Joshua Azzopardi | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|11|27|df=yes}} | birth_place = Penrith, New South Wales, Australia<ref name="Paris 2024"/> | height = 1.81 m<ref name="Paris 2024">{{cite web |title=AZZOPARDI Joshua |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/joshua-azzopardi_1939801 |work=Paris 2024 Olympics |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241006151938/https://www.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/joshua-azzopardi_1939801 |archive-date=6 October 2024}} ([https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024/atleta/joshua-azzopardi_1939801 alternate link])</ref> | weight = | sport = Athletics | event = Sprint | pb = '''60m''': 6.52 (2025) <br> '''100m''': 10.09 (2025) <br> '''200m''': 20.82 (2022) <br> '''4''' x '''100m''': 38.12 (2024) '''AR''' | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{flagu|Australia}}}} {{Medal|Competition|Oceania Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2024 Suva|100 m}} {{Medal|Gold|2026 Darwin|100 m}} {{Medal|Bronze|2022 Mackay|100 m}} }}
'''Joshua Azzopardi''' (born 27 November 1999) is an Australian sprinter. In 2024, he became Oceania champion in the 100 metres.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/joshua-azzopardi-14743991 |website=World Athletics |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=Joshua Azzopardi}}</ref>
==Early life== From Sydney, he started athletics when he was six years-old. He also played Australian Rules Football as a youngster and played rugby league for Camden Rams. He was offered a Rugby Sevens contract by Rugby Australia in 2019, but declined in order to focus on athletics. He received a New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nine.com.au/sport/athletics/news-2023-olympics-news-2023-why-sprinter-josh-azzopardi-shunned-rugby-australia-20230625-p5j5pt.html |website=Nine.com |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Aussie speedster who shunned 'tempting' Rugby Australia lure opens up on bold Olympics dream |first=Zachary |last=Gates |date=2023}}</ref>
==Career== Azzopardi ran as part of the Australian 4x100m relay team at the 2024 World Relays Championships in Nassau, Bahamas, where they qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |website=Watch Athletics |url=https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5397/men-4x100m-results-world-athletics-relays-championships-2024 |access-date=12 May 2024 |title=Men 4x100m Results - World Athletics Relays Championships 2024 |date=5 May 2024}}</ref>
In June 2024, he won gold in the 100 metres at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji, ahead of Australian champion Sebastian Sultana.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/joshua-azzopardi-australia-athletics-paris-2024-olympics-men-100m |website=Olympics.com |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS: AUSTRALIA'S JOSHUA AZZOPARDI SECURES 100M QUOTA |first=Prathamesh |last=Palshikar |date=16 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7206470?eventId=10229630 |website=World Athletics |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=Oceania Athletics Championships |date=1 June 2024}}</ref> He competed in the 100 metres<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5834/men-s-100m-results-paris-olympic-games-2024-athletics |website=Watch Athletics |access-date=28 December 2024 |title=Men's 100 Metres - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics |date=4 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/olympics/story/_/id/40571483/australian-josh-azzopardi-added-olympic-100m-field#:~:text=Jul%2016%2C%202024%2C%2003%3A,up%20alongside%20countryman%20Rohan%20Browning. |website=espn |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=Australian Josh Azzopardi added to Olympic 100m field |date=16 July 2024}}</ref> and in the men's 4x100m relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5861/men-s-4x100m-relay-results-paris-olympic-games-2024-athletics |website=Watch Athletics |access-date=28 December 2024 |title=Men's 4 x 100 Metres Relay - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics |date=9 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympics-australia-athletics-team |website=Olympics.com |access-date=22 July 2024 |title=PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS: NICOLA OLYSLAGER HEADLINES 75-MEMBER AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS TEAM - FULL LIST |date=16 July 2024}}</ref> being part of the team which set a new Australian and Oceania Area record of 38.12 s in the heats.
Azzopardi surpassed the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships 60 metres qualifying mark with 6.52 s at the ACT Open Athletics Championships on 25 January 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://capitalathleticsresults.com.au/Results/Season2024_25/Championships/U20_Open_Champs/Web/ |title=Meet Results |website=capitalathleticsresults.com.au}}</ref> He was runner-up to Lachlan Kennedy over 60 metres at the Australian short track national championships in Sydney on 1 February 2025.<ref>{{cite web |website=Athletics.com.au |url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/connolly-and-kennedy-dominate-inaugural-australian-short-track-championships/ |date=1 February 2025 |title=CONNOLLY AND KENNEDY DOMINATE INAUGURAL AUSTRALIAN SHORT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS |access-date=12 February 2025}}</ref> He ran a personal best 10.09 seconds for the 100 metres at the Perth Classic on 1 March 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/kennedy-inches-closer-to-sub-10-performance-as-adcock-seizes-his-moment-at-perth-track-classic/ |website=Athetics.com.au |access-date=2 March 2025 |title=KENNEDY INCHES CLOSER TO SUB-10 PERFORMANCE AS ADCOCK SEIZES HIS MOMENT AT PERTH TRACK CLASSIC |date=1 March 2025}}</ref> He was selected for the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March 2025.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/world-champions-and-emerging-sprinters-named-on-australian-team-for-world-athletics-indoor-championships/ |title=WORLD CHAMPIONS AND EMERGING SPRINTERS NAMED ON AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS |date=12 March 2025 |accessdate=12 March 2025 |website=Athletics.com.au}}</ref>
In March 2025, he helped break the Australian 4x100m relay national record, running 37.87 seconds at the Sydney Track Classic alongside Lachlan Kennedy, Calab Law, and Christopher Ius.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://insideathletics.com.au/blog/men-break-4x100m-record-at-sydney-track-classic/|website=Inside Athletics|accessdate=19 December 2025|title= MEN BREAK 4X100M RECORD AT SYDNEY TRACK CLASSIC |date=16 March 2025}}</ref> He competed for Australia at the 2025 World Athletics Relays in China, helping the Australian men's 4x100m team qualify for the 2025 World Championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/may/12/australia-mixed-4x400m-silver-world-athletics-relay-championships |website=The Guardian |accessdate=12 May 2025 |title=Mixed 4x400m silver caps successful world relay championships for Australia |date=12 May 2025}}</ref> In September 2025, he competed in the 100 metres at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7190593?eventId=10229630&gender=M |website=World Athletics |accessdate=29 September 2025 |title=World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025 |date=18 Sep 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/green-and-gold-to-shine-in-tokyo-with-largest-athletics-team-yet/ |title=GREEN AND GOLD TO SHINE IN TOKYO WITH LARGEST ATHLETICS TEAM YET |website=Athletics.com.au |accessdate=3 September 2025 |date=3 September 2025}}</ref> He also ran in the men's 4 x 100 metres relay at the championships.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7190593?eventId=204593&gender=M |website=World Athletics |accessdate=29 September 2025 |title=World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025 |date=18 Sep 2025}}</ref>
Azzopardi equalled his personal best to win the 100 metres at the Perth Track Classic on 14 February 2026, with a time of 10.09 (+1.9).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/olympic-finalist-bol-ignites-perth-track-classic-to-kick-start-chemist-warehouse-summer-series/#:~:text=On%20a%20sizzling%20day%20at,Marschall%20provided%20strong%20supporting%20acts.|website=Athletics.com.au|accessdate=15 Feb 2026|title= OLYMPIC FINALIST BOL IGNITES PERTH TRACK CLASSIC TO KICK-START CHEMIST WAREHOUSE SUMMER SERIES|date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7232367?eventId=10229630&gender=M |title=Perth Track Classic |access-date=15 Feb 2026|date=14 Feb 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref> On 11 April, he finished runner-up to Lachlan Kennedy over 100 metres at the 2026 Australian Championships.<ref>{{cite web|title=SUB-10 AGAIN IN KENNEDY’S IN CROWNING MOMENT AT AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS |accessdate=11 April 2026|date=11 April 2026|url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/sub-10-again-in-kennedy-in-crowning-moment-at-australian-athletics-championships/ |website=Athletics.com.au}}</ref>
Competing at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Botswana the following month, he ran alongside Kennedy, Christopher Ius and Rohan Browning and equalled the Oceania record of 37.87 seconds on the opening day, before placing fourth in the final in 38.00 seconds.<ref>{{Cite web | url= https://worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/gaborone26/news/report/gaborone-26-report-4x100m-heats |title= Jamaica set mixed 4x100m world record of 39.99 in Gaborone|date=2 May 2026 |access-date=2 May 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2 May 2026|url= https://worldathletics.org/competition/calendar-results/results/7216920?eventId=204593&gender=M |title= World Athletics Relays |access-date=2 May 2026| website=World Athletics }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.athletics.com.au/news/bronzed-aussies-and-huge-qualifying-wins-to-finish-the-world-relays-for-australia/ |title= BRONZED AUSSIES AND HUGE QUALIFYING WINS TO FINISH THE WORLD RELAYS FOR AUSTRALIA |access-date=3 May 2026| website=Australian Athletics}}</ref> Later that month, he retained his 100 m title at the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin, running 10.21 seconds into a headwind (-1.0) having equaled the championship record of 10.19 seconds in his semi-final.<ref>{{Cite web | url= https://www.athletics.com.au/news/reath-raises-bar-as-azzopardi-sprints-to-oceania-title-in-darwin/ |title= REATH RAISES BAR AS AZZOPARDI SPRINTS TO OCEANIA TITLE IN DARWIN|date=20 May 2026 |access-date=20 May 2026| website=World Athletics}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete/joshua-azzopardi/ Joshua Azzopardi] at Australian Athletics * [https://athletics.possumbility.com/athletes/athlete7440.htm Joshua Azzopardi] at Australian Athletics Historical Results * {{Australian Olympic Committee|joshua-azzopardi|Joshua Azzopardi}} * {{Commonwealth Games Australia|joshua-azzopardi|Joshua Azzopardi}} * {{Olympics.com|joshua-azzopardi|Joshua Azzopardi}} * {{Olympedia|name=Joshua Azzopardi}} * {{InterSportStats|3000261728|Joshua Azzopardi}} * {{Instagram|name=Josh Azzopardi}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Azzopardi, Joshua}} Category:1999 births Category:Living people Category:Australian men sprinters Category:Oceanian Athletics Championships winners Category:Olympic athletes for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes from Sydney Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia