Josh Ross

Who is Josh Ross?

Joshua Ross is an Australian track and field sprinter. He spent his early childhood in south western Sydney and moved with his family to the Central Coast at around age seven. He went to Woy Woy Public School and Henry Kendall High School. He's the third fastest Australian of all time, after Matt Shirvington and Patrick Johnson.

On the Central Coast, Ross attended Little Athletics and he won his first Australian title aged 10 – in the long jump. But apart from the occasional school competition, he did not return to athletics until he was nineteen. During that time he played representative rugby league on the Central Coast.

Ross attracted immediate attention as a sprinter in 2003 when he comfortably won the Stawell Gift off a mark of seven metres. In 2005, he again won the Stawell Gift – this time from the honoured scratch mark time, becoming only the second athlete to achieve this feat and the first Australian. He also became the third person ever to win the event twice.

He reached the semi finals at the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2005 World Championships. He has won four consecutive Australian national 100 metre titles and became a vital and successful member of Australia's 4 x 100m relay team which placed 6th at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Additionally, he holds the fastest 100m time by an Australian on native soil, his personal best, 10.08 seconds. This record was set in Brisbane on 10 March 2007. He also has a personal best in the 200m of 20.52. An Indigenous Australian, Ross was awarded the 2004 Deadly Award for Male Sportsperson of the Year.