The Commonwealth Youth Games have provided a launching pad for a number of renowned international athletes, and in just over a week’s time the next generation of Australian sporting champions will make their mark at the third edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games, which will be held in Pune, India from October 12 – 18.
The 100-strong Australian team will be amongst 1300 rising stars from 71 Commonwealth nations in Pune, who will contest the nine sports on the program – athletics, badminton, boxing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting.
Two of those athletes to have prospered since their debut at the Commonwealth Youth Games are 100m hurdles Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan and three-time Olympic and four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, swimmer Jodie Henry.
McLellan has fond memories of her experience at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, where she won the gold in the 100m hurdles and bronze in the 100m and relay.
Benefiting from the invaluable experience, McLellan was rewarded with selection in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games team just two years later, before going on to win the silver medal in Beijing.
“To represent your country at an international event is an absolute honour. I have some great memories from my time in Bendigo and I wish the Australian team all the best in Pune,” said McLellan.
“Travelling overseas, living in an athlete’s village, mixing with international athletes and competing on the international stage will be a great learning experience for those on the 2008 team.”
Dreaming of following in McLellan’s and Henry’s footsteps are a number of talented emerging athletes.
The 34-strong athletics team includes Queensland young gun Lauren O’Sullivan who is expected to make an impact on the track in the sprints, whilst Victorian javelin throwers Bianca Maurer and Luke Bissett will be hoping to go one better after just missing out on a place on the podium at last year’s world youth athletics championships.
The swimming team boasts some of the nation’s leading teenage talent including six finalists from the 2008 Australian Championships and Olympic Team Selection Trials.
One swimmer who is in outstanding form is Queenslander Amy Smith, who won her first Australian open title at last month’s Australian Short Course Championships, taking out the women’s 200m butterfly.
Fellow Queenslander Ryan Napoleon, who collected silver medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle, is also in promising form, whilst South Australian butterfly specialist Jessica Ash is also expected to make a splash in Pune.
Kirsten Wu, sister of Commonwealth and Olympic silver medallist Melissa Wu, will also compete in Pune – not in her elder sister’s chosen sport of diving – but in the 48kg class of weightlifting.
In shooting, two athletes are endeavouring to continue their family tradition. Hayley Chapman’s father David Chapman represented Australia in shooting at the 2000 Olympic Games and 2006 Commonwealth Games, whilst Chloe Esposito’s father Daniel Esposito was selected for the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games in modern pentathlon.
Team manager and Commonwealth Games golden girl of the pool Petria Thomas will once again lead the Australian team in Pune, just as she did at the 2004 Games in Bendigo.
The first Commonwealth Youth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2000 where 733 athletes from 14 countries competed in eight sports. In Bendigo, over 1000 athletes and officials from 22 countries took part in the 10 sport programme.
The Australian Team Handbook and further information can be found on the ACGA website www.commonwealthgames.org.au
