Meet Claudia Hollingsworth, Gabriella Blewitt, Jaylen Brown and Josh Jolly, the finalists for the 2026 Carbine Club Rising Star Award. Four young athletes, four different sports, and already among the brightest emerging talents in the world.
Claudia Hollingsworth, Athletics
At 21, Claudia Hollingsworth is an Olympian, Australian record holder and Commonwealth Games medallist in athletics.
Introduced to the sport through school cross country and track, she began working with Craig Mottram during her early secondary school years and made her senior international debut at the World Athletics Championships at 17. Her 2023 Australian 800m title earned her selection for Paris 2024, where at 19 she reached the semi-finals, before claiming World U20 silver weeks later.
In 2025 she ran 1:57.67 at the Silesia Diamond League meet to break the Australian women’s 800m record. Rather than stand still, Hollingsworth moved up in distance in 2026, winning the Australian championships 3000m title, setting an Australian 1500m all-comers record of 3:58.09 at the Box Hill Classic and claiming bronze in the women’s mile at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Her appetite for the next challenge sets her apart as a rising star.
Gabriella Blewitt, Taekwondo
At 18, taekwondo’s Gabriella Blewitt is already a World Championships medallist and a genuine Olympic prospect for LA 2028 and beyond.
Her path has demanded maturity and resilience. At 17 she relocated independently from Sydney to Melbourne after being selected into Australia’s National Performance Centre, and following knee surgery in 2024 she returned to competition within a short timeframe.
In 2025 she won bronze in the women’s -62kg at the World Taekwondo Championships, in a field of 47. She carried that momentum into 2026, winning gold at the Canada Open, the Oceania Championships, the Kimunyong Cup and the Indonesia Open Championships, and silver at the US Open.
Alongside training, Blewitt studies a Bachelor of Science at the University of Melbourne, works part-time, mentors young athletes and contributes to athlete advocacy on the Combat Australia Athlete Advisory Committee. A Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship recipient, she is recognised as a future leader within Australian sport.
Jaylen Brown, Wheelchair Basketball
Warrnambool’s Jaylen Brown grew up in basketball stadiums watching his mum from the sidelines. Today he is a Paralympian, world champion and tournament MVP.
Born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, Brown had his right leg amputated when he was two. His passion for wheelchair basketball was sparked when he saw the sport being played on the court opposite where his mum was training, and he went on to make his Paralympic debut at Paris 2024.
In 2025 he co-captained Australia at the U23 Men’s IWBF World Championships, topping the scoring charts, then was named MVP at the Men’s Asia Oceania Championships. At the 2026 IWBF World Championships he averaged 30 points per game, including 37 points in a one-point overtime semi-final win over Germany, as Australia won the world championship and he was named tournament MVP. At professional level, he powered Turkish club Besiktas to the EuroCup 3 championship.
Off the court, Brown coaches young players through the Ford Aussie Hoops program and is involved in school and community clinics through the Red Dust Heelers. Brown is also nominated for the Award of Excellence and Para Athlete Award.
Josh Jolly, Cycling - BMX
Josh Jolly became a Junior World Champion, U23 World Champion and UCI BMX World Cup winner before the age of 21.
Born and raised in Ballarat, Jolly began BMX riding at two and claimed his first Australian National Championship title at nine. His international breakthrough came in 2024, when he won the UCI BMX Racing Junior Elite World Championship in Rock Hill, USA.
Moving into the U23 category in 2025, he won his first UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Papendal, Netherlands, and took U23 silver at the World Championships in Copenhagen. In 2026 he went one better, claiming the U23 World Championship title on home soil in Brisbane to become a dual world champion. He wasted no time making his mark in the elite class, winning Round 6 of the UCI BMX Racing World Cup on his elite debut weekend in October 2026.
A 2025 Sam Willoughby Medal winner and Tier 3 recipient of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program, he also coaches and mentors younger riders at his home club, the Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club BMX.
About the Carbine Club:
The Carbine Club’s commitment to emerging talent extends beyond the award. The Club backs the VIS Future Talent Program, whose scholarships accelerate the development of athletes under 23 with the greatest potential for success, connecting them with elite VIS services to fast-track their journey to the highest level of sport. Some of Australia’s greatest athletes started with a Future Talent scholarship, including international footballer Steph Catley, Australia’s most decorated snowboarder Scotty James and four-time Olympic diver Anabelle Smith.
The winner will be announced at the 2026 VIS Award of Excellence at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday 17 November. Follow VIS channels (@vicinstsport) to stay up to date with the evening.
