NEW WAVE OF SWIM STARS NAMED FOR COMMONWEATH YOUTH GAMES IN SAMOA

 

   

Swimming Australia, April 24, 2015: The Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) in conjunction with Swimming Australia Limited (SAL) has named a 14-strong swimming team for this year's 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa. The team is brimming with new talent who have also been named among an Australian team of 30 for the FINA World Junior Championships in Singapore, August 25-30.

The 14 swimmers also named for Samoa have been given the opportunity to back up for the Commonwealth Youth Games from September 5-12.

ACGA Chief Executive Perry Crosswhite said: “Swimming has always been one of the most successful sports at Commonwealth Youth level since the first Games in Edinburgh in 2000.

“We are confident the swimmers named in the 2015 Team will again perform at their best and maintain the outstanding record set at previous Games.”

Newly appointed Gold Coast Gold Coach and Commonwealth Youth Games team head coach Glenn Beringen says it will give his charges an ideal opportunity to race back-to-back internationally at the most competitive time of the year.

Beringen, a 1984 Olympic silver medallist and former Olympic team coach was recently named as Swimming Australia's Gold Coast Gold Squad coach for 2018 and he knows the value of the opportunity given to his young charges.

“The Commonwealth Youth Games is an important stepping stone for these athletes who have their eyes on meets like the 2018 Commonwealth Games and beyond and to give them the best possible chance to step up over the next 12 months,” said Beringen.

“The timing lines up perfectly with the other major meets on the international calendar and from our point of view it gives these swimmers an opportunity to do back-to-back meets.

“They’ll be coming off the World Junior Championships and going straight to Samoa so it will give them the chance to get used to travel, competition and then travel and another competition.

“It’s an exciting young group who have a great opportunity afforded to them by the Australian Commonwealth Games Association.

“The team was named off the back of the recent Georgina Hope Swimmers Foundation Australian Age Championships in Sydney that showcased the depth of talented teens that make up an exciting future pool for Swimming Australia.

“Swimming Australia recognises the importance of the Commonwealth Games as vital to the Australian psyche, and our partnership and support from the ACGA is crucial to our success in 2018 and beyond.”

The team for Samoa contains seven boys and seven girls - eight from Queensland, three from NSW, two from Victoria and one from Tasmania -who will have their sights on the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Brisbane-based Podium Performance Centre, St Peters Western, with renowned Commonwealth and Olympic Games gold medal winning head coach Michael Bohl at the helm, has provided three team members – Jack Cartwright, Amy Forrester and Tristan Ludlow.

The Commonwealth Youth Team will also see the reunion of Beringen and triple Olympic and triple Commonwealth Games representative Petria Thomas who has been appointed Swimming Team Leader.

Beringen coached Thomas to three Olympic gold medals and a silver medal in Athens in 2004.

Thomas has also acted as the General Manager of the Commonwealth Games Youth teams at the three previous Games in Bendigo in 2004, Pune in 2008 and the Isle of Man in 2011.

The winner of nine Commonwealth Games gold medals in her stellar career – including three consecutive 100m butterfly golds in 1994, 1998 and 2002, Thomas has also been a part of the team management at the last two Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Glasgow.

Here is a look at the 2015 Commonwealth Games Youth Swimming Team:

Four-time Australian Age gold medallist Gemma Cooney from River City Rapids QLD, who produced a glittering week in Sydney, winning gold in the 15 years 100m and 200m freestyle in 55.45 and 2.01.37 as well as the 100m and 200m butterfly double in 59.98 and 2:14.88 respectively.

Tasmania's 14-year-old triple Australian Age freestyle champion Ariarne Titmus (Launceston) who won the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle

Youth Olympic Games representatives Nicholas Groenewald (Nunawading, VIC) and Amy Forrester (St Peters Western) - a triple relay bronze medallist at the YOG in Nanjing last year and a silver medallist in the 17/18 years 200m backstroke

Emerging Sydney sprint freestyler Vincent Dai (Cherrybrook Carlile, NSW) who has made his mark as an outstanding 50m and 100m freestyler, winning the 17/18 years 50m freestyle in 22.70 and the 100m freestyle in 49.58

Outstanding Central Coast, NSW backstroker Bradley Woodward (Mingara, NSW) who won the 16 years 100m backstroke in 56.99 and the 200m in 2:01.22. His World Youth and CYG selection caps a stellar 12 months for the Ocean Beach surf lifesaver who becomes a dual Junior international after he represented the victorious Australian Youth Life Saving Team at last year's World Life Saving Championships in France.

Bayside NSW's Lucy McJannett, a finalist in the 200 IM at the Australian Open Championships in Sydney, Australian 17/18 years 200IM Age Champion and Junior Pan Pacs representative.

Jack Cartwright from St Peters Western who was second to FINA World Championship rookie and World Junior representative Kyle Chalmers in the 50m freestyle in 22.96; the 100m freestyle in 50.29 the 200m freestyle in 1:53.22.

Elyse Woods (Melbourne Vicentre) the winner of the 200m backstroke in the 16 years age group.

Australian 16 years Age Champion over 200m breaststroke and 200m IM Calypso Sheridan

Palm Beach Currumbin's Brayden McCarthy – the winner of the 17/18 years 100m butterfly in 54.11 and Junior Pan Pacs representative

Miami's Lucia Lassman who won gold in the 16 years 100m butterfly in 59.96.

Tristan Ludlow from St Peters Western who won the 17/18 years 200m backstroke in 2:01.21

Clyde Lewis from Brothers QLD, who won the 16/18 years 200IM.

Swimming has been Australia’s most successful sport at Commonwealth Youth Games since the first Games in Edinburgh in 2000 when Australia’s swimmers, including Jodie Hendy and Linda MacKenzie won a total of 26 gold medals.

The home Games in Bendigo in 2004 saw the swim team, that included Meagen Nay and Nick Ffrost collect nine gold, 17 silver and eight bronze while in Pune in 2008 the Australians with Ryan Napoleon, Ned McKendry and Jade Nielsen won 18 gold 11 silver and eight bronze.

At the last Games in Isle of Man Australia again topped the medal tally winning 15 gold, 115 silver and 6 bronze in a team that included London 2012 Olympian Jarrod Poort.

Over the four Games Australia’s swimmers have won 68 gold, 46 silver and 24 bronze for a total of 138 medals.

 

Swimming Australia is the national sporting organisation which is responsible for the promotion and development of swimming in Australia at all levels. Home of the Australian Swim Team, Swimming Australia is recognised as one of the leaders in Australian sport and has almost 90,000 members and just over 1,000 swimming clubs nationwide. For more information visit www.swimming.org.au  

 

 

Kathleen Rayment | Media & Public Relations Coordinator | Swimming Australia Ltd
PO Box 3286, Belconnen ACT 2617 | Direct: 02 6219 5623 | M: 0432 915 262 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | www.swimming.org.au

Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager