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From Kurrajong Little Athletics to the world’s elite javelin circles, 22-year-old Lianna Davidson is on a trajectory that may well lead to Olympic glory.
The young athlete, who began her sporting journey in the Hawkesbury, has enjoyed a breakout season that’s turned heads across the athletics world. In March, she launched a huge personal best of 63.79 metres—just 21 centimetres short of automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
“I feel I’m on the right track to achieving my goals this year,” Lianna told the Gazette. “I’ve already thrown a solid PB and been selected for the World University Games. Hopefully I can continue throwing well and make it to the World Championships.”
Her rise hasn’t gone unnoticed. After claiming victory at the prestigious Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne—the only Gold "A" level track and field event in Australia—Lianna was named Upcoming Athlete of the Month by Commonwealth Games Australia. It’s an honour reserved for only a few elite competitors, with her father Tony Davidson noting, “I believe only her and Gout Gout received this award as field and track athletes this year.”
Born and raised in the Hawkesbury, Lianna’s early education took her through Glossodia Public and Kurrajong Public Schools, followed by time at Colo High, Hills Sports High, and St Marys Senior High School. But her athletics journey truly began at age 8 with Kurrajong Little Athletics. Back then, her main sport was baseball, where she pitched and played Division 1 against all-boys teams—and excelled.
“Javelin was my fun event,” she recalls. “It was a break from all the baseball training, but I ended up loving it.”
She didn’t just love it—she dominated. Lianna broke countless records at club, state, and national levels, and didn’t lose a single javelin event throughout her Little Athletics career. Simultaneously, she became the first girl from Australia to represent the country at the Little League World Series at the junior level.
With few local coaches specialising in javelin, her Sundays were often spent travelling all the way to Wollongong to train with the legendary Peter Lawler. Later, she joined Angus McEntyre—now the Australian national coach—based in Hornsby.
In 2021, Lianna took the next big step: a scholarship to Texas A&M University in the United States. Over three years, she’s competed at NCAA Nationals every season, finishing runner-up twice. Though she transferred to the University of Georgia in 2024 to complete her business degree, her NCAA eligibility ended after four years, freeing her to focus on international competition.
Her NCAA swansong this month saw her throw consistently in the 58-59 metre range to claim fourth place at Nationals—slightly below her season's peak but crucial for helping her Georgia team secure their first-ever NCAA national title.
“A proud moment this year was winning the NCAA team title in Oregon alongside my awesome teammates,” Lianna said.
Her next stop is Zurich in a couple of weeks time, followed by representing Australia at the World University Games in Germany. She may round out her European season in Poland. With World Championships qualification based on world rankings rather than distance, Lianna currently sits 20th on the “Road to Worlds”—comfortably inside the top 36 cutoff.
“Her points are in great shape,” says dad, Tony. “And in terms of distance, she’s actually top 10 in the world right now.”
Looking ahead, Lianna has her sights firmly set on two dates: the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2032 Games on home soil in Brisbane.
“This year’s goal is to qualify for the World Championships,” she said. “But my long-term goal is to be an Olympian.”
For her family back home in the Hawkesbury, the pride is immense.
“As a dad, I really can’t express how proud I am of her,” Tony said. “She works so hard, and moving across the world to chase your dreams—it’s not easy. We’re lucky to talk most days, but watching her from afar achieve all this is something special.”
From a javelin "fun event" in Kurrajong to world-class throws in front of thousands, Lianna Davidson’s journey is only just beginning.
