22.06.2010

World junior athletes prepare for final hit-out

Calling all athletes: It's now just two weeks until Australia's world junior championships team leaves our shores to face up to the world's top emerging track and field stars in Moncton, Canada - and they need your help to get there!

Ahead of their arrival in Moncton for the world junior titles from July 19 to 25, the 37 athletes selected to the Australian team will make their final preparations for the meet at an all-comers competition at the University of Queensland athletics track in Brisbane this weekend.

To help send the team to Moncton on a high, Athletics Australia is inviting all state and national-level athletes to join the team in action at the Brisbane meet and help provide valuable competition opportunities to the athletes en route to the worldwide championships.

But it’s not just the world junior athletes set to benefit; as well as offering a last-minute chance for athletes to hit their straps ahead of their arrival in Moncton next month, the two days of hard-fought track and field action will offer all athletes aiming for a call-up to this year’s Australian Commonwealth Games team the chance to post a coveted qualifying standard in their event and to throw their hat in the ring for selection alongside some quality opposition.

With the Australian squad to field three relay teams at the world junior titles – the boys’ 4x100m and the girls’ and boys’ 4x400m – the Brisbane hit-out will offer aspiring Commonwealth Games sprinters around the country a much sought-after chance to race against some of the quickest competition on offer as they continue their bid for a ticket to New Delhi (IND).

The 2010 world junior championships team will be headed up by seven members of last year’s world youth championships squad, including high jump silver medallist Amy Pejkovic. She will be joined in Moncton by world youth teammates Mitchell Tysoe (110m hurdles), Dane Bird-Smith (10,000m walk), Alex Beck (4x400m relay), Paige Hooper (10,000m walk), Brooke Stratton (long jump) and Taryn Gollshewsky (discus throw).

At just 19 years of age Victoria’s Kim Mulhall will line up for her third national team, following appearances at the 2007 world youth championships in Ostrava (CZE) and the 2008 world junior championships in Bydgoszcz (POL).

Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallists Sam Baines (110m hurdles) and Julian Wruck (discus throw) and fellow Commonwealth Youth representatives Todd Wakefield (1500m), Matt Cowie (shot put) and Amanda Bartrim (pole vault) will also make their return to the world stage.

Adding further weight to the team’s international resume, all four walkers selected to the squad – Bird-Smith, Hooper, Rhydian Cowley and Regan Lamble – represented Australia at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Chihuahua, Mexico, last month.

For further information and a copy of the all-comers competition program, click here – see you in Brisbane!