July 2025
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Written by Svilen PetrovJanuary 16, 2025

Australian hurdler Sarah Carli

Australian hurdler Sarah Carli has emerged as a rising star in track and field. The 27-year-old from Wollongong, New South Wales specializes in the 400m hurdles.

Representing Australia at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Sarah Carli reached the semi-finals in the women’s 400m hurdles. She later qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but was eliminated after finishing fifth in her heat with a time of 56.93 seconds.

Sarah Carli’s accolades include a silver medal at the World U18 Championships, two Oceania titles, and three Australian national championships. She first got involved in the sport at age 8, joining the Wollongong City Little Athletics club with her sister.

Sarah Carli’s competitive career took off in 2010 when, at 16 years old, she won gold medals in the 400m hurdles at the Australian U17 Championships and Australian Schools competition, clocking 60.52 sec.

In 2011, Sarah Carli achieved significant success in the field of athletics, securing the silver medal at the Lille IAAF World Youth Championships in the 400m hurdles event. During the same year, she also demonstrated her exceptional talent by earning the silver medal at the Sydney Australian U18 Championships, and the gold medal at both the Sydney NSW U18 Championships, Glendale Hunter Winter Series, and Sydney Waratah Series.

The following year, in 2012, Sarah Carli continued to excel in her athletic endeavors. She clinched the bronze medal at both the Sydney Waratah Series and the Perth Track Classic, while also showcasing her skills at the Sydney Track Classic in the 400m hurdles. In addition to her prowess in the 400m hurdles, she displayed versatility by competing in the 400m relay, where she secured the silver medal at the Sydney Australian Junior Championships and the gold medal at the Mannheim Bauhaus Junioren-Gala.

Sarah Carli made her national championship debut in 2014, where she displayed her determination and talent by finishing 7th at the Melbourne Australian Championships. Throughout the season, she continued to compete at a high level, participating in the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge and narrowly missing out on a podium finish by securing 5th place, demonstrating her proximity to the medals zone.

In 2016, she came very close to securing her first senior national medal, finishing 5th in the 400m hurdles at the Sydney Australian Championships. She achieved the same placement in 2017, but the following season, she claimed a bronze medal at the Gold Coast Australian Championships. During the 2018 season, she also captured a silver medal at the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix and a gold medal at the Sydney Treloar Shield.

In 2019, Sarah Carli won a silver medal at both the Sydney Australian Championships and the Oceania Championships. Additionally, she secured a gold medal at the Canberra Track Classic and a bronze at the Sydney Track Classic. That season, she also participated in the 400m hurdles at the Doha IAAF World Championships in Athletics, where she improved her personal best to 55.43 sec, although she did not advance to the finals.

In 2020, Sarah Carli had a remarkable season, achieving a gold medal at the Jandakot Airport Track Classic, a silver at the Canberra Track Classic, and another gold at the Sydney NSW Championships.

In 2021, Sarah Carli made it to the Tokyo Olympics for the women’s 400m hurdles. Though she placed fifth in her heat and didn’t move on, she didn’t give up. She bounced back later in the season and won a bronze medal at the Athletics Festival in Townsville.

The next year, she hit a big milestone. She claimed her first national win at the 2022 Australian Championships in Sydney. She kept the streak going with a gold medal at the Mackay Oceania Championships and another gold at the athletics meet in Liege. She even grabbed a bronze at the Kuortane Games. That same year, Sarah competed in the Eugene World Championships and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. While she didn’t bring home medals from those events, her spirit and hard work were clear for all to see.

In 2023, Sarah Carli worked hard and kept her title as the best in the country, winning again at the Brisbane Australian Championships. She stayed strong, taking gold at both the Sydney Track Classic and Brisbane Track Classic. She also earned silver at the Paavo Nurmi Games and Meeting Nikaia, showing great skill. Carli proudly represented Australia at the Budapest World Athletics Championships. Even though she couldn’t move beyond the heats, her effort and spirit inspired many.

Sarah Carli competed at her second Olympics in 2024 at the Paris Games. However, again failed to overcome the heats by finishing 6th in 400m hurdles. Meanwhile, during the season, she won the 400m hurdles gold at the Canberra Track Classic, Albie Thomas Mile, Adelaide Australian Championships, as well as the silver at the Meeting International Sotteville 2024. Her biggest achievement during the season was the gold at the Golden Label’s Suva Oceania Athletics Championships.