Joshua Ross (b. 1981) excelled at athletics as a child, but didn't take up sprinting in earnest until 2000, inspired by watching the Sydney Olympics on TV. His rise to prominence has been stunning: he won the prestigious Stawell Gift in 2003 and again in 2005, when he became only the second man in the 120 m handicap race's 127-year history to win "off scratch" (meaning from the back of the field). At the 2004 Athens Olympics he ran anchor in the men's 4x100m relay team - the first Australian 4x100 team ever to reach an Olympic final. After strong performances at the 2004 World Championships - he made the 100m semi-finals, and helped the 4x100m team take fifth place in the final - he will go into the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in highly promising form.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased 2006
© Sahlan Hayes
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