19.12.2006

Young stars get their chance to shine at Australian Youth Olympic Festival

Australia’s most promising young track and field stars will have their opportunity to shine when the participate in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival next month.

The fourth Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) promises to be the biggest and most spectacular yet. To be held in Sydney from 16 – 21 January, the Festival is a multi-sport event for teenage Olympic aspirants.

An initiative of the Australian Olympic Committee, the Festival will feature over 1600 of the best young male and female athletes from Australia, China, Oceania and East Asia across 16 Olympic sports.

The Festival endeavours to discover future Olympic Champions, provide them with an environment reminiscent of an Olympic Games and promote the Olympic ideals of fair play, honesty and pride in their country.

The athletics competition will be held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on the 19th and 20th January 2007. The World Cup-style finals-only format will feature 240 athletes representing eight teams - China, New Zealand, Oceania, Chinese Taipei with four teams from Australia.

Leading athletes born in 1990 or 1991 who competed at the 2006 Australian All Schools & Youth Athletics Championships and athletes who were talented identified by National Youth Event Coaches provided the pool of athletes from which the four Australian track and field teams were selected.

 

“The Australian Youth Olympic Festival provides these talented young teenagers with an opportunity to further develop and experience athletics at an elite international level,” explained Sara Mulkearns, Athletics Australia’s National Youth Performance Manager.

“With many athletes still hoping to secure a position in the Australian team for the IAAF World Youth Championships, we’re looking forward to witnessing outstanding performances in Sydney.”

Athletes to watch out for include NSW sprinter Olivia Tauro who took out four gold medals at the All Schools including a meet record and a world youth qualifier, promising high jumper Joshua Heap from Queensland, 15-year-old Melissa Hayes who cleared the world youth qualifying time by over 34 seconds in the 5km race walk, Tasmanian Hamish Peacock who will compete in the shot put, discus and javelin, Kimberley Mulhall from Victoria who scooped four gold medals in shot put and discus at the All Schools and Sally Fitzgibbons who conquered in the 800m and 1500m last week in Sydney.

The budding young Australian stars will be hoping to emulate the feats of Sally McLellan, Dani Samuels and Sean Wroe who have all competed at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in years gone by and have gone on to represent their country at elite international levels.

Athletics Australia congratulates the following athletes on their selection:

TEAM 1                             

100m                         

Frankie Iorfino               

Olivia Tauro

200m

Kevin Moore                  

Olivia Tauro

400m

Luke Hamer

Jasmyn Gould

800m

Lee Berry

Trychelle Kingdom

1500m

Todd Wakefield

Linden Hall

3000m

Luke Hennessy

Ashleigh Gentle

110m Hurdles

Ben McPherson

Shayleigh Gould

400m Hurdles

Brad Leonard

Shayleigh Gould

2000m Steeple

Luke Hennessy

Kate Sly

5000m Walk

Chase Richardson

Melissa Hayes

High Jump

Josh Heap

Yula Monkland

Pole Vault

Blake Lucas

Amanda Bartrim

Long Jump

Tony Blumson

Paris Keeley

Triple Jump

Tony Blumson

Tahnee Reynolds-Hopkins

Shot Put 

Jamal Idris

Jaymi Schultz

Discus

Adam Bevis

Jaymi Schultz

Hammer

Tom McGuire

Bianca Maurer

Javelin

Jamal Idris

Bianca Maurer

4x100m

Frankie Iorfino  Kevin Moore  Luke Hamer  Ben McPherson              

Olivia Tauro  Virginia Trad  Aimee Laube  Shayleigh Gould                   

4x400m 

Luke Hamer  Lee Berry  Brad Leonard  Kevin Moore  Frankie Iorfino  

Olivia Tauro  Trychelle Kingdom  Jasmyn Gould  Virginia Trad  Aimee Laube

 

TEAM 2                               

100m                                    

Mitchell Zilm                

Elly Graf

200m

Mitchell Zilm

Elly Graf

400m 

Keiren King

Jessie Couch

800m

Joel Smythe

Selma Kajan

1500m

Daniel Bulmer

Melissa Duncan

3000m

James Nipperess

Claire Doyle

110m Hurdles 

Steven Carayonapoulos

Jacinta Doyle

400m Hurdles

Keiren King 

Jessie Couch

2000m Steeple 

Brett Robinson     

Samantha Carberry

5000m Walk

Kyle Malone

Regan Lamble

High Jump

Thomas Brennan

Trudy Thompson

Pole Vault   

Mitch Fox  

Emily Zerella

Long Jump  

Henry Frayne 

Jacinta Doyle

Triple Jump   

Henry Frayne 

Kristen Bannister

Shot Put       

Liam Suter       

Lomana Fagatuai

Discus     

Taylor Hunt  

Lomana Fagatuai

Hammer     

Matt Stopel    

Mellisa Hidler

Javelin    

Luke Bisset      

Jessica Head

4x100m        

Mitchell Zilm Steven Carayonapoulos  Henry Frayne  Joel Smythe 

Jacinta Doyle  Elly Graf  Kristen Bannister Trudy Thompson                                                     

4x400m          

Keiren King  Joel Smythe  Mitchell Zilm  Daniel Bulmer 

Jessie Couch  Selma Kajan  Elly Graf  Melissa Duncan  Jacinta Doyle

                                                             

TEAM 3                                      

100m          

Daniel Martin  

Sarah Thomson

200m                                  

Aaron Oliver                   

Sarah Thomson

400m                                  

Ray Williams                   

Alicia Keir

800m                                  

Johnny Raynor                

Alicia Keir

1500m                                

Ryan Gregson                 

Chloe Tighe

3000m                                

Ryan Gregson                 

Chloe Tighe

110m Hurdles                       

Daniel Martin                  

Jaimi-Lee Page

400m Hurdles                      

Daniel Bailey                   

Kellie Peterson

2000m Steeple                    

Richard Everest               

Elise Clayton

5000m Walk                         

Rhydian Cowley              

Stephanie Stigwood

High Jump                          

Todd Garsden                  

Mia McKinnon

Pole Vault                           

Harry Parkinson              

Rachel Birtles

Long Jump                          

Daniel Bailey                   

Katie Cox

Triple Jump                         

Dallan Stantan               

Katie Cox

Shot Put                             

Brent Dixon                    

Vika Lolo

Discus                                

Brent Dixon                    

Vika Lolo

Hammer                             

Benedict Farrell              

Jacinta Faint

Javelin                                

Daniel Boatwright           

Hayley Neville

4x100m                              

Aaron Oliver  Ray Williams  Daniel Martin  Daniel Bailey   

Sarah Thomson  Jaimi-Lee Page  Jasmyn Gould  Sophie Broadhead                                                       

4x400m      

Ray Williams  Daniel Bailey  Zac Walpole  Aaron Oliver  Johnny Rayner    

Jasmyn Gould  Kellie Peterson  Sarah Thompson  Alicia Keir

                                                             

TEAM 4                                   

100m                                 

Jared Bezuidenhout          

Jane Larkin

200m                                

Jared Bezuidenhout           

Jane Larkin

400m                                

Nicholas Frost                 

Sarah Wilson

800m                                 

James Kaan                    

Sally Fitzgibbons

1500m                               

James Kaan                    

Sally Fitzgibbons

3000m                              

Cameron Page                

Grace Thek

110m Hurdles                    

Glenn Ormesher              

Kimberly Watton

400m Hurdles                    

Sam Carson                   

Bianca Mignot

2000m Steeple                    

Mitchell Lamb                

Grace Thek

5000m Walk                       

Brook Keys                    

Natalie Laurie

High Jump                         

Josh Hall                        

Leah Oakhill

Pole Vault                           

Mitchell Wake                

Vicki Parnov

Long Jump                         

Ethan Gould                  

Caryn Brett

Triple Jump                        

Josh Lumley                   

Rachel Rowe

Shot Put                             

Hamish Peacock             

Kimberly Mulhall

Discus                                 

Hamish Peacock             

Kimberly Mulhall

Hammer                             

Nigel Skurrie                

Ashleigh Mumberson

Javelin                               

Hamish Peacock            

Sarah Jaric

4x100m                             

Jared Bezuidenhout  Nicholas Frost  Glenn Ormesher  Grant Billingham  

Jane Larkin  Sarah Wilson  Caryn Brett   Kimberly Watton                                  

4x400m                             

Nicholas Frost  Grant Billingham  Jared Bezuidenhout  Sam Carson  James Kaan

Sarah Wilson  Bianca Mignot  Jane Larkin  Sally Fitzgibbons