The 2023 Australian Masters Games have been run and won!

The 19th edition of the Australian Masters Games have come to a close, following eight days of incredible performances from more than 7,200 competitors.

The week-long celebration of sports saw a diverse range of participants, records and results, friendships solidified and the spirit of competition proven to be alive and well, no matter what age or level of ability.

Some of the highlights included:

• In athletics, Rob Italia, 57, racked up 10 gold medals and three silvers from the 13 events he competed in

• Former race walker Elizabeth Feldman 75, set two World Records in Indoor Rowing, in both the 2000 and 1000 metre events

• Competing in his very first Australian Masters Games, former Olympic gymnast Saúl Cofiño Arena took home an incredible seven gold medals from six events, including first in the overall standings

• Age was no barrier for David Robertson, who was the sole competitor for the 90-94 age bracket in the 10km race walk: he braved the blustery, cold conditions to finish the event with a gold medal

• Henry Young, who at 100 years old was the oldest participant, winning gold in tennis

The 2023 Australian Masters Games saw participants from every Australian state and territory and across the world competing, including representatives from New Zealand, Canada, India, Japan, South Korea and the USA.

Highlighting this diversity was the Whittlesea U3A Women’s Walking Football team, which included players from Sri Lanka, China, the Philippines, Iraq, Poland and Australia.

Throughout the eight days of competition, the Australian Masters Games had an inspiring number of athletes competing in support of those whose lives have been impacted in some way by health crises. This unity was on display at the dragon boat racing, where a sea of pink raced across the waters in support of breast cancer survivors.

The 2023 Australian Masters Games saw the first ever all-Indigenous Women’s Softball team, the Black Diamonds, which represented Indigenous communities from the Riverland, Whyalla, Ceduna and Adelaide.

There was also a host of local and national legends on display in various sports.

South Australian Liz Howe competed in Finswimming fresh off the back of setting a World Record at the Finswimming World Masters Championships in Egypt, and Dawn Nelson-Furnell OAM won three gold and two silver medals across five days of archery.

The Games was also opportunity for 70-year-old footballer Keith Pierce, from New South Wales, to gain match fitness in preparation to represent Australia later this year at the Over 70s World Cup in Thailand.

More than 1,000 volunteers registered to help at the 2023 Australian Masters Games and there were 2,960 hours of volunteer work completed this year, all of which were crucial to making the Games run smoothly.

“It was an absolutely fantastic week of competition, and my thanks go to all the volunteers, corporate partners and the South Australian Government for their support throughout,” said Australian Masters Games General Manager Jane Woodlands-Thomspon.

“The athletes revelled in the spirit of competition, created life-long friendships, and many partied at the social events we also organised, including our Foreshore Fiesta at Glenelg, Hot Dub Time Machine and the Billy Joel Tribute concert at our Closing Ceremony.

“We would also like to thank the South Australian Government and the South Australian Tourism Commission for backing the event, the 2023 AMG team for working incredibly hard to bring so many sports, social events and venues together, and the Confederation of Australian Sport for bringing the Games back to our great state.”

With the 2023 Australian Masters Games now closed, Adelaide has officially handed over the hosting rights to Australia’s capital, Canberra, for the 2025 edition.