Introduction

Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) Age: 18

Australian Olympic hopeful Oceana Mackenzie is a truly international climber whose origins could give several countries bragging rights come Tokyo. Born in Germany to New Zealand parents, who later settled in Melbourne, Australia, the young star from the antipodes showed enormous promise in climbing from an early age.
With Mackenzie shining as she came into youth competition, the decision was made by the Australian climbing federation to move her into the adult events before she was eligible under the rules. This, it was felt, would assist in raising her level by exposing her to a broader field of elite competitors. It was a decision which clearly paid dividends with Mackenzie coming into her own in domestic competition before she was technically allowed to hold the titles she was winning. Strong performances in her first international outings also showed that this unusual approach had benefited her evolution as a climber.

After strong showings in her first season of IFSC senior competition with a semi-final appearance in her first World Cup in Hachioji, Japan in 2018, Mackenzie really announced her arrival onto the world stage with a final’s appearance at the first Boulder World Cup of 2019 in Meiringen, Switzerland.

Qualification route

IFSC Oceania Continental Championships: 1st Place

After a disappointing result in the Combined World Championships in Hachioji, where although the top placed climber from Oceania, Mackenzie failed to secure an Olympic ticket. The young star turned her attention to the Oceania Continental Championships. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 season, Mackenzie had only competed in a single international event, Dock Masters in The Netherlands, before having to return to Australia. After enduring several prolonged lockdowns in Melbourne, December brought the rescheduled qualifying event to Sydney and Mackenzie showed in no uncertain terms that she had put the extended lead-up to the competition to good use.

In a stunningly dominant display, Mackenzie won every Speed race, flashed every Boulder and onsighted the Lead routes in both qualifying and finals. By having a perfect competition (no falls, no losses) Mackenzie qualified with a score of 1.

Trivia

Mackenzie is the youngest of six siblings, all sisters. She follows a vegan lifestyle.

UKC prediction

The delay of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has probably been beneficial to Mackenzie. As one of the younger qualifiers, it has given her another year to prepare and work on any weaknesses in the lead up to the Olympics. The lack of international competition does however make it more difficult to gauge her progression against her rivals, which adds a layer of complexity to the prediction. We believe Oceania has the potential to make finals due to her aptitude in all disciplines and expect her to place in the lower section of the finalists. UKC prediction: 7^th.