Joshua Azzopardi

Joshua Azzopardi, the eighth fastest Australian 100m sprinter of all-time, has equalled or improved his PB for the last eight consecutive years. He, along with Lachlan Kennedy, has been the backbone of the National 4x100m relay having run on all three teams to equal or lower the Australian record in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

He has been named on his ninth Australian team, to compete at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

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Josh Azzopardi joined Camden Little Athletics Centre in the U6s as a bit of fun with some school mates. Around the same age, he started playing AFL, switching to rugby league and Oztag in 2014 when he was 15. He would continue to play league over winter, Oztag on Monday nights and compete in Little Athletics in summer.

“My mind was always on league though, I played winger and I always had a dream of playing in the NRL,” no surprise as he was attending a rugby league school, St Gregory’s College.

“My mindset switched in late 2016/early 2017 when I ran my first sub 11 (10.78) at the Little Athletics Zone. Rob (his coach) was stoked for me as training was very inconsistent. Then he won the Little Athletics state title in the 100 and ran 10.81.”

His coach then spoke to Josh about focusing on the World Juniors the next year. “I didn’t really know what world juniors was until I did some research into it and saw that it was in Finland and it was an event for the best under 20 athletes in the world.”

Over the summer of 2017/18 he would run under the World Junior standard (10.50) with a 2.1m/s illegal wind, and despite hamstring issues would manage third at Nationals and a place on the relay team for the World Juniors. In the leadup in Europe he ran 10.41 in the 100m and was added to the individual 100m.

“Juniors was amazing but I was dirty as I missed the 100m semi by 0.01 seconds and in the relay we didn’t get the baton around so that was tough.”

Josh preserved in the transition years, particularly showing some glimpses in 2021, ahead of his brilliant 2022 campaign.

“Making that step into senior teams was a long time coming from 2018 – 2021, but perseverance and determination is what has got me where I am today.”

But it was not smooth sailing, and he nearly abandoned his 2022 season.

“As we came out of lockdown in late 2021, I had an accident doing a stair session where I tripped and kicked my big toe and bent the joint back on itself causing a significant injury that put me in a moon boot for 8 weeks and on the bike and in the pool for 13 weeks before I was able to run again. I made my comeback to racing after long discussions with my coach and physios about whether the 2021/2022 season was even worth trying.”

After a tough start, running just 11.05, a week later he progressed slowly with 10.57 and felt positive about the direction he was going.

“Over the next weeks and months, there were PB’s, scalps, and Australian medals. Coming second in the 100m final at nationals was a highlight of the season alongside being called into the Oceania team for the individual 100 where I then ran another PB of 10.27.”

He was named in the World University Games and Commonwealth Games teams.

“I wouldn’t have even though in my wildest dreams that coming off an injury that threw me around a fair bit would lead me to where I am today.”

At the Uni Games he made the 100m semi and in Birmingham, he was the lead-off runner, but unfortunately, they wouldn’t get the baton to the finish, breaking down at the last change.

He recovered from a late summer injury in 2023 to make the 100m semi-finals at the 2023 World University Games in China.  He started the 2024 summer in terrific form, defeating Australia’s leading sprinter Rohan Browning. Two weeks later Josh smashed his 100m PB, going from 10.25 to 10.15 in Canberra in January. He had become the equal ninth fastest in Australian history. At season’s end he was second at the Nationals in the 100m and in June Josh had strong 100m win at the Oceania Championships over National champion Sultana and Olympian Browning.

During the summer he was a regular on the National relay team running either the first or last legs. The team clocked a series of mid-38 second times and ran brilliantly at the World Relays in May where they secured a Paris Olympic berth for the Australian 4x100m relay team.

Josh’s brilliant form continued in June in Europe with 10.15 in Spain, then a PB 10.14 in Switzerland. He was selected in the 100m and 4x100m relay for his Olympic debut. In Paris he was 4th in his 100m heat clocking 10.20. He missed progression to the semi-final by one place or 0.04 seconds.

Five days later Josh took his position in the Australian 4x100m relay team. Running the anchor leg, the team struck a competitive heat placing sixth and missing the final by just 0.05 seconds. They would have won the other heat. The upside was they clocked 38.12 – an Australian record, that was first set in 1995 and equalled in 2012. It was the fifth occasion in 2025 Josh had helped the National relay team to a sub-38.5 time.

His early 2025 campaign was again terrific. Over 60m he was second in the inaugural Australian Short Track Championships and selected in March for the World Indoors in Nanjing where he ran in the heats. In March at the Sydney Track Classic, he ran his usual second leg on the Australian team which smashed their National record clocking 37.87 – taking 0.25 seconds from the time set at the Paris Olympics. In China in May at the World Relays Championships (his sixth Australian team) Josh again helped the National team to qualify for the 2025 world championships. In Tokyo, he was weary from the long season and ran a sub-par 100m of 10.41. It was his 22nd race of the year, plus six relay races for Australia. It was then no surprise that later in the meet when he ran on the 4x100m relay, he injured his hamstring, as the team placed 4th in the heat. Over 100m in 2025, Josh sliced 0.05 from his PB, now down to 10.09.

Josh compiled another outstanding early 2026 campaign. He opened in Perth equalling his PB. It was the eighth consecutive season he had equalled or improved his 100m PB. He placed second at Nationals and again won the Oceania title in May. Also in May he competed on the Australian team at the World Relays in Gaborone where he assumed his now usual second leg. In the heats they equalled the Australian record (37.87) and in the final ran well with 38.00 to place 4th and secure qualification for the 2027 world championships.

In June he was selected for the Commonwealth Games to compete on the 4x100m relay team.

Hero: Canadian sprinter Andre de Grasse and Usain Bolt, the best track and field athlete in history. In Australia Alex Hartmann has been a great role model as I have been on relay camps with him and his leadership and professionalism is unmatched…Advice to your young self: To just be patient, the work is going to be done and the results will eventually come. Every single session that is completed is one step closer to your dream. Also to have fun with the process…Education: completed Diploma in Applied Fitness and studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Exercise at ACPE…Other Sports: Australian team for Oztag World Cup U21, won gold…Interesting facts: has Maltese heritage, received an Australian Rugby 7’s offer in 2019…hobbies: golf

@ 28 June 2026 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au