Saturday 11 June 2005

Our Lauren - post 1

Posted by speedygeoff on Saturday, June 11, 2005 with
We have had the celebration at the Yamba club for Lauren and family, now to start talking up the World Youth Championships.

Here is some background information to start with.

"Thirty-seven of Australia’s most promising young athletes were announced in the largest ever Australian team to compete at the IAAF World Youth Athletics (U18) Championships to be held in Marrakesh, Morocco in July 2005.

"The team size is a significant increase on the previous largest team of twenty-nine athletes, and is a direct result of improvement in performances in this age division and reflects Australia’s growing depth in junior athletics.

"Not only is the 2005 World Youth Australian team the largest, but looks to be the strongest with five senior national champions selected, Chris Noffke (long jump), Dani Samuels (discus), Katherine Katsanevakis (800m), Sophia Begg high jump) and Lauren Boden (400m hurdles).

"The last two Australian World Youth teams have placed sixth overall, and included athletes such as Jana Pittman, Georgie Clarke, Petrina Price and John Thornell.

"'Athletics Australia is delighted to make such an investment in the future of the sport by sending our largest team ever of young athletes to the World Youth Championships in Morocco. We hope these young athletes take great pride in representing their country and see this as the pathway to representing Australia at major Games in the future. Our best wishes go to all the athletes and we will take great pride in their achievements' said Athletics Australia CEO Danny Corcoran.

"Ninety percent of this team have emerged from the Australian Youth Olympic Festival held in January 2005, in Sydney. The AYOF program was a tremendous development step for these athletes, who will now compete on the world stage.

"Introduced in 1997 by the IAAF, the third edition of the World Youth Championships is open to athletes under 18. At the inaugural World Youth Championships in 1999, 137 countries competed, increasing to 166 countries in 2001, making it a truly global teenage competition. 158 countries contested the 2003 World Youth Championships and that is expected to rise in Marrakesh.The 1999 championship was the international starting point for Jana Pittman who won the 400m hurdles."

AUSTRALIAN TEAM
MEN
400m Tristan Garrett (N)
800m Nick Toohey (Q)
1500m Matthew Coloe (V)
110m Hurdles Lachlan Stanton (Q)
2000m Steeplechase Ryan Foster (T)
High Jump Liam Zamel-Paez (Q), Kane Brigg (Q)
Pole Vault Matt Boyd (Q), Matt Fryer (N)
Long Jump Chris Noffke (Q), Wally Meekin (W)
Triple Jump Scott McLeod-Robertson (Q)
Shot Joe Stevens (Q), Emanuele Fuamatu (N)
Javelin Nathan Burgess (V)
Octathlon Hamish Nelson (V)

WOMEN
100m Olivia Tauro (N), Jess Gulli (V)
200m Mim Hill (V), Tauro
400m Jaimee-Lee Hoebergen (N)
800m Katherine Katsanevakis (V), Sianne Toemoe (N)
1500m Heidi Gregson (N), Lexy Gilmour (N)
100m Hurdles Tara Holt (N), Gulli
400m Hurdles Lauren Boden (A), Kristy Radford (V)
High Jump Sophia Begg (N), Lauren Ford (V)
Pole Vault Vicky Parnov (W), Miranda Tiong (W)
Long Jump Boden
Triple Jump Alyisha House (N)
Shot Dani Samuels (N)
Discus Samuels, Kelly Emery (V)
5000m Walk Tanya Holliday (S)
Heptathlon Amy Sadler (N), Megan Wheatley (W)
Medley relay from Tauro, Gulli, Hill, Hoebergen, Katsanevakis, Boden and Holt.
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