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Igniting the Flame: The Australian Spark
One week out from its departure for the 13th
IAAF world junior championships in Moncton, Canada, the 36-strong
Australian squad has been officially named the Australian
Spark.
The team name, chosen in consultation with members of Athletics
Australia's Under 19 Talent Squad, was officially launched at
the team's pre-departure camp in Brisbane at the weekend. The
36 athletes who will represent Australia at the 2010 world junior
titles will have the unique honour of being the founding members of
the all-new Australian Spark.
Following the launch of the senior national team – the Australian
Flame – at the 12th IAAF world championships in Berlin (GER) in
2009, Australia’s world junior representative team will step out on
the international stage as the Spark for the first time in Moncton
this July.
Charged with ‘igniting the Flame’ and with hopes to one day join
the senior national team, members of the Australian Spark have
reached the pinnacle of junior athletics on the all-important
pathway to senior representation.
The Australian Spark aims to unite all members of the junior team
and create a culture of teamwork and success on the world stage. As
the very first squad to compete as the Australian Spark, the 2010
world junior team will take on an important role in establishing
this team culture.
Following a three-day pre-departure camp in Brisbane at the
weekend, the Spark will depart Australia next Thursday bound for
Vancouver, Canada, where it will take part in two warm-up
competitions before the IAAF titles get under way on Monday, July
19.
The 2010 world junior championships team will be led by six 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), 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.
Athletics Australia wishes the 36 founding members of the
Australian Spark every success at the 13th IAAF world junior
championships.
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