The Gliders road to Ottawa has been far from simple.
After finishing third at last year’s Asia-Oceania Championship behind China and Japan, Australia missed out on direct qualification for the 2026 IWBF World Championships and was forced to take the long route through the Repechage in Madrid.
For a program that has never missed a World Championship, the stakes were clear: there was no room for another stumble.
Instead, the Gliders embraced the hard way back.
In Madrid, Jeremy Synot’s side delivered when it mattered, defeating Argentina in the decisive clash to claim one of the final four places at the World Championships.
“The repechage was remarkable when you consider how much we asked of them with a completely new staff. Their willingness to buy in showed what a tight-knit group they are. No matter what’s happening around them, they come together,” says Glider's assistant coach Kelsey Griffin.
Now, having fought their way into Ottawa, the Gliders are dreaming of more.
The IWBF World Championships run from September 9-19, bringing together the world’s best wheelchair basketball nations, with Australia drawn alongside Brazil, China, Great Britain, Spain and hosts Canada in Group A.
Their campaign has already begun, with the Gliders falling 48-37 to China in their opening game.
Under the new Paralympic qualification pathway, the four highest-ranked nations at the 2026 World Championships will earn a qualification place for their respective zone. Those places will then be allocated and a strong World Championship finish can directly shape the number of LA 2028 opportunities available to Asia-Oceania
For the Gliders, that makes every game in Ottawa part of a much bigger picture.
Having already taken the difficult route once, Synot’s squad knows what it means to have its future decided on the court.
The coach has backed the group that found success in Madrid, retaining the same 12-player squad for Ottawa.
“I feel like we’re ready… I think we’re ready to perform and do some really good things this week,” says Synot.
“We’re refining our identity. We want to be a strong defensive team that works hard at both ends of the floor.”
That identity will now be tested against some of the world’s strongest programs.
Headlining the Gliders squad are recognisable names such as Hannah Dodd and Laura Davoli, while World Championship debutants Sara Houston, Ebony Stevenson and Katelin Gunn are also stepping into the spotlight.
For Synot, their emergence is another sign of where this Gliders program is heading.
“It’s exciting that they’ll all have opportunities. These three debutants capture the trajectory we’re on,” says Synot.
Behind that trajectory is a group willing to learn, adapt and continue improving.
“The exciting part for me, which has been there from the start and keeps showing itself, is how coachable they are. They want to watch film, improve and ask questions. As a group, they’re a joy to be around and to help wherever we can,” says Glider's assistant coach Matt McShane.
Synot affirms that the foundations of the team’s success begin with the people inside the program.
“We want good human beings in this team because we’re trying to build a culture in which people are intentional about who they are and what they do.”
That culture has already been tested, regrouping after missing direct qualification and once again needing to dig deep for the remainder of the Ottawa World Championship tour.
Yet, with a World Championship title on the line and the LA 2028 qualification pathway beginning to take shape, the Gliders have another chance to rewrite their story and claim glory the hard way.
