Broome little athletics shine at country championships

Broome Athletics Club have returned home with outstanding results after competing at the 2026 Country Championships in Albany from January 16 to 18.

The little athletes faced sun, cold, wind, rain and overcast skies across the three-day event, a sharp contrast to the heat and humidity they trained in throughout the wet season after their local season finished in November.

Broome Athletics sent a team of 13 competitors, aged from under-8s to under-15s.

Competing in 66 events, the team achieved more than 45 personal bests and finished in the top eight in 24 events.

They also claimed an impressive 33 medals overall, including 13 gold, 9 silver and 11 bronze.

Standout performances included Malakai Corpus, who won five gold medals and one silver, and Beau Thompson, who secured four golds, one silver and one bronze.

Strong all-round efforts were also delivered by Fletcher Morley, Lebron Bundamurra, Lilly Gardiner, Diesel Gardiner and Nevaeh Churchill.

Dylan Johnson narrowly missed a medal in the high jump on countback but recorded a remarkable personal best improvement of 25 centimetres.

The Broome team delivered exceptional performances at what was the second-biggest country championships on record, with competitors travelling from as far north as Hedland and Broome and as far east as the Eastern Goldfields.

Broome Athletes Club committee member Lisa Hailstone said it was a fantastic competition for the whole team.

“Overall it was a wonderful championship with amazing sportsmanship, new friendships made and friendships that grow each year we attend these events,” she said.

Eligible athletes will now look ahead to the Little Athletics WA Challenge in March.