Carla Krizanic

Carla Krizanic (née Odgers) is one of Australia’s most successful Jackaroos.

She was a stable member of the Jackaroos contingent after making her debut in 2012. Carla notched up 212 international appearances and claimed gold medals at both of the sport’s pinnacle events – in the 2016 World Bowls Championships and twice at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Victorian’s efforts in 2018 enabled Carla to share the record for the most Commonwealth Games gold medals won by an Australian in bowls along with Hall of Famers Natasha Van Eldik (nee Scott), Rebecca Van Asch, and Aaron Wilson, along with Ellen Fife (nee Ryan). Carla was an integral member of the national squad’s most successful games in history.

In the women’s fours at the 2018 Games, Carla teamed with Kelsey Cottrell, Natasha Scott and Rebecca Van Asch to secure gold, breaking Australia’s 12-year drought in lawn bowls gold medals since the 2006 Melbourne Games. The 4,398-day Commonwealth Games gold medal drought for the nation ended when they defeated South Africa (skipped by Nicolene Neal) in the final at Broadbeach Bowls Club on the Gold Coast after overcoming an early deficit and securing a crucial nine-point run to build a lead they held despite a late challenge. Carla’s role in the team emphasised putting pressure on the opposition as a lead and strategic positioning, helping to end the long wait for Australian success in the discipline.

Just 72 hours after the fours triumph, Carla, partnering with Natasha Scott and Rebecca Van Asch in the women’s triples, added a second gold by dominating Scotland (skipped by Stacy McDougall) 21-12 in the final, Australia’s first in the event at the Commonwealth Games.

These back-to-back wins highlighted the team’s unity and Carla’s pivotal contributions to Australia’s historic double in women’s bowls at the Games.

Carla demonstrated her prowess in international competitions through her performances at the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships. In 2015, she contributed to Australia’s gold medal in the women’s fours and silver in the triples events. Building on this success, she returned to the Asia Pacific stage in 2019 on the Gold Coast, Australia, where she helped secure another gold in the women’s triples.

Carla, who began playing lawn bowls around 2005 at age 15, was initially motivated by her sister’s involvement in the sport deciding it would be more engaging to participate rather than simply watch from the sidelines, concluded her international career to focus on family life as a mother and registered nurse with a strong showing at the 2022 World Singles Champion of Champions tournament at Naenae in Wellington, New Zealand. Competing as the Australian national singles champion, she reached the women’s final but earned silver after a close 21-20 loss to New Zealand’s Tayla Bruce.