ROME ROOKIES JOIN OLYMPIC TRIO FOR AGE CHAMPS IN SYDNEY
April 2: Seven members of Australia's Telstra Dolphins World Championship Swim Team will shape up at the 2009 Australian Age Championships at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre from April 13 to 18.
The six-day meet will provide another eye-catching hit out for 2008 Olympic medallists Emily Seebohm and Cate Campbell, Olympic finalist Belinda Hocking and fellow FINA World championship team members, rookies Ryan Napoleon, Blair Evans, Ellen Fullerton and Merindah Dingjan.
The newest members of the Telstra Dolphins Australian team had several podium finishes at the Telstra Australian Open Championships and will be pushed by many talented youngsters who narrowly missed their chance to compete in Rome.
Junior Pan Pac medallist Tessa Wallace of Pelican Waters, QLD was one of those swimmers who went under qualifying by almost two seconds but missed out by 0.28 after finishing third in the 200m breaststroke.
Nine members selected for the 2009 West Coast Tour will also race at the Australian Age Championships including; Southport Olympic breaststroke sprinter Leiston Pickett, Gold Coast teenagers and training partners from Pro - Ma Miami QLD; Daniel Smith, Jade Neilsen and Katie Goldman. Also heading to the USA are breaststroker Samantha Marshall, Ellese Zalewski, sprint freestyler Luke Kerswell, breaststroker Jeremy Meyer of and medley and freestyle swimmer Thomas Fraser-Holmes.
Other strong swims at the Australian Age will come from Junior Pan Pac medallists Grace Loh, Amy Smith, Brittany Elmslie, Tiffany Papaemanouil, Jessica Ash, Belinda Bennett, Ned McKendry, Christopher Ashwood, Lachlan Staples and Hayden McEvoy.
Australian Youth Olympic Festival members to watch out for include; Kenneth To, James Roberts, Nicole Mee, Jessica Ashwood, Jessica Legge and Megan Mackay, who all experience what it's like to be in an Ausralian open final at the world trials.
Australian age group swimmers will be racing with competitors representing Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Zambia and Singapore.
One swimmer to watch out for is Great Britain's Ellen Gandy who will represent her country at the World championships in Rome.
With National Youth coach Leigh Nugent selecting more junior teams to perform later in the year the 2009 Australian Age championships is building up to be a great opportunity for the youth of Swimming Australia to perform at their biggest meet of the year.