Logan decathlete Ash Moloney will return home from the Tokyo Olympics with a bronze medal around his neck.
He’ll also be remembered as the recipient of the Dubler effect, one of the most memorable acts of mateship and inspiration from the Games.
Coming into the last event, the 1500m, Moloney had exceeded his wildest expectations by achieving personal bests in multiple disciplines of the 10-event competition.
But he was tired, and the 1500m is four laps of agony.
To maintain third place, he needed to be within nine seconds of the fourth placed American who was noted for being a better runner.
It was tight. Enter, training partner Cedric Dubler.
Dubler was placed last – 21 of 21 athletes.
But he had enough energy to scream words of inspiration in the ear of his mate, to get the absolute most out of his body at the end of perhaps the most grueling event on the Olympic calendar.
At the end of the race, Moloney was spent, lying on the ground. But Dubler was there again, this time to tell him he’d held on for a medal.
The pictures, less than a week after the Games has finished, are now folklore.
Ash Moloney’s mother Alyson told MyCity Logan last week she would have been happy to see her son make the top 10.
He was the youngest in the field and on a learning expedition.
He’s now touted as being a future world champion.