FLIPPERS COMPLETE FINAL PREPARATION FOR AUSTRALIAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL

Sydney January 13: Thirty-six young Australian swimmers have put the finishing touches to their preparations ahead of this week's fifth Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF). Tomorrow night's (Wednesday) spectacular Opening Ceremony at the Sydney Entertainment Centre will officially kick start the Festival in the 2000 Olympic host city of Sydney. Athens Olympic swimming medallist Brooke Hanson reports...

The Australian Youth Olympic Festival gives future Olympians a chance to compete and experience an event similar to an Olympic Games.

Eleven swimmers who have competed for Australia at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival went on to represent Australia at the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games.

A shining example of this stepping-stone unfolded at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival where Cate Campbell won two gold and a bronze medal.

The following year Campbell won an individual Olympic Games bronze medal in the 50 metres freestyle and team bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay in Beijing.

Other Olympic medallists from the 2008 Olympics Kylie Palmer, Eamon Sullivan and Jessicah Schipper also competed at the AYOF.

This week the next generation of future Olympians will look to follow  the same path as Campbell and one of those swimmers is her younger sister Bronte Campbell who will race the same events as Cate did at the AYOF in 2007 the 50m and 100m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay.

Two recently retired Olympians Linda Mackenzie and Lara Carroll have been chosen as swimming ambassadors to inspire the AYOF Australian swim team to achieve their best over the next four days.

They are both looking forward to mentoring the team and passing on their experiences by sharing the highs and lows of Olympic competition.

Dual Olympian and one of the 2008 heroes, Mackenzie was a member of the victorious 4x200m freestyle relay team in Beijing.

Mackenzie said she is "excited about the festival and is happy to be involved."

She will be joined by Carroll, a 2004 Olympic finalist in the 200m and 400m individual medley who was member of the 2003 AYOF team.

"It's a real honour to be chosen as a swimming ambassador and I can't wait to watch the next generation of future Olympians in action," Carroll said on her arrival into the Athlete's Village today.

The Opening Ceremony begins at 6.30pm tomorrow night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre with the day one swimming heats commencing on Thursday morning at 9.00am.

We will follow their performances with interest and who knows the 2009 AYOF just might throw up a youngster with their eyes on London in 2012.

2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival Team

Head Coach: Leigh Nugent

Female:

Jessica Ashwood 15 SOPAC Swim Club NSW, Bronte Campbell 14 Indooroopilly QLD, Darthea Clydsdale 15 Brothers QLD, Leah Cutting 16 Norwood SA, Katie Goldman 16 Miami SC QLD, Whitney Ireland 15 Norwood SA, Kia King 17 Personal Best Aquatics Piranhas SA, Jessica Legge 15 Novcastrian NSW, Megan Mackay 16 St Peters Western QLD, Kelly Marquenie 16 Miami SC QLD, Nicole Mee 16 Uniswim SC NSW, Anastasia Osadchuk 16 Brisbane Jets QLD, Leiston Pickett 16 Southport Olympic QLD, Kacey Pilgrim 15 Bankstown Sports NSW, Caitlin Sinclair 15 MLC Marlins NSW

Male: Phil Butcher 17 Lane Cove NSW, Ben Edmonds 17 Norwood SA, Alex Gohari 17 SOPAC Swim Club NSW, Justin James 15 Mackay QLD, Luke Kerswell 17 Southside Aquatic QLD, Jared Killey 17 Hunter NSW, Mitch Larkin 15 John Paul College Aquatics QLD, Harrison Pullinger 16 SOPAC Swim Club NSW, Andrew Read 15 CA Tritons VIC, James Roberts 17 Somerset SC (Gold Coast) QLD, Nicholas Schafer 16 River City Rapids QLD, Sam Sheppard 17 Nunawading VIC, Kenneth To 16 Trinity Grammar School NSW, Daniel Tranter 16 Liverpool NSW, Dylan Wyatt 17 Bankstown Sports NSW

TeamCoaches: John Bladon MLC Marlins NSW, Anne-Marie Couperwhite Uniswim SC NSW, Michelle Morris Southside Aquatic QLD, Paul Sharman Novcastrian NSW, Tony Shaw SOPAC Swim Club NSW, John Thompson Lane Cove NSW