OLYMPIANS FLOOD AND NAPOLEON BOLSTER AUSTRALIAN LIFESAVING TEAM

Surf Life Saving Australia, May 1, 2014: London Olympians Naomi Flood and Ryan Napoleon are among four new faces included in a 12-strong Australian Life Saving Team named today for this year’s World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, in France in September.

The championships will run between September 13 and 26 at Montpellier and La Grande-Mott and will attract the world’s best lifesavers from over 100 countries.

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Olympic kayaker Flood, a member of the successful Australian World Championship campaigns of 2008 and 2010, returns to the women’s team while champion swimmer Ryan Napoleon makes his debut in the men’s team.

Flood (Manly) spent the lead up to 2012 concentrating on her pursuits to make the Olympic kayak team but has continued to dominate the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships as the country’s dominant ski paddler - winning her fifth open single ski crown at Scarborough this year.

Northcliffe and RLSS Queensland’s Napoleon, who swam the 400m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle in London, will be a welcome addition, particularly in the pool lifesaving events where Australia struggled to match it with World Champions New Zealand and Pool Lifesavingchampions Italy at Rescue 2012 in Adelaide.

Flood and Napoleon, will be joined by newcomers - world beach sprint and beach flags champion Jake Lynch (Newport) and four-time Australian single ski champion and prospective Rio kayak Olympian Lachlan Tame (Avoca).

The inclusion of Flood and Tame comes after their dominant performances for Australia in the three Test International Surf Rescue Challenge and the Trans Tasman Surf Life Saving Championship wins at Onjuku Beach in Japan last September.

The pair are currently in Europe with the Australian Canoe Sprint Team preparing for the ICF Canoe World Cup Series which starts in Milan, Italy this weekend.

Their versatility both in the surf and on the beach will give National Head Coach Danny Short some strong options as they mount a challenge against a Kiwi team that will include Commonwealth Games swimmers Steven Kent, Laura Quilter and Sam Lee and London Olympian Andy McMillan.

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The Australian team will once again be led by six-time Australian Ironman champion and eight-time Nutri-Grain Ironman Series winner, Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe), the world’s best Ironman.

Eckstein will captain the team in its pursuits to reclaim the prestigious world teams title it lost to the Kiwis two years ago. He will be supported in the ocean events by NSW Central Coast competitor Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC/ The Hills Life Saving Club) who will be Australia’s second Ironman entrant, swimmer and pool lifesaving swimmer, a key member of the Australian team at last year’s German Cup – one of the major international Pool Lifesaving events in 2013.

It saw the Australian team take out the overall pointscore for the first time in history on the back of some outstanding swimming by the likes of Schofield and former world record holder Pam Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving)

Australia defeated pool lifesaving powerhouses Italy and Germany with Pam Hendry breaking the then world record in the 100m manikin carry.

The Open team is:

Men
Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC) Captain
Andrew Bowden Bronte (SLSC/ The Hills Life Saving Club)
Jake Lynch (Newport SLSC)
Ryan Napoleon (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland)
Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club)
Lachlan Tame (Avoca Beach SLSC).

Women
Miranda Bell (Northcliffe SLSC)
Naomi Flood (Manly LSC)
Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving)
Melissa Howard (Kurrawa SLSC)
Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland)
Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe SLSC)
Australian Life Saving Head Coach Danny Short is excited with the team he believes can take it to the Kiwis.

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“The inclusion of Naomi Flood and Lachy Tame gives the team a huge boost - they bring not only their brilliance in the water and on the beach but also a level of enthusiasm which will be a positive influence on the whole team,” said Short.

"Lachy is such a brilliant all-round athlete - not only on the ski where he has been so dominant over the past four years but don’t be surprised to see him turn up in a variety of events including a couple of pool relays and any number of events on the beach. If it was up to him, he would do everything!

“Having them both in Japan last year was a huge plus with Flood again leading by example in competition and around the team - it is great to have her back in the team after her London Olympic campaign and her amazing performances on the ski for Manly at this year’s Aussies.

“His Olympic aspirations for Rio is another major positive for this team and it is exciting to see him so excited to be part of pour Rescue 2014 team.”

Short was also full of praise for Eckstein, knowing that Australian Lifesaving is blessed to have such a great competitor and inspirational leader.

“Shannon brings so much to this team - he wears the green and gold with such pride and is an inspiration to everyone on the team - to build our team around someone like him is such a huge start.”

MANLY’S GEORGIA MILLER NAMED IN YOUTH TEAM

Meanwhile rising Ironman star Georgia Miller from Manly is one of a number of outstanding talents named in an exciting Australian Youth Team (18 on December 31, 2014) for Montpellier after her dominant performances at the NSW and Australian Championships.

Miller, who represented Australia at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships last year, won the Under 19 Ironwoman, finished second in the surf race, third in the board and was also a finalist in the Open Ironwoman.

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She will be joined by a host of talented youngsters, including Northcliffe’s female competitor of the carnival, Townsville-based Alyssa Koenen – who was named female competitor of the carnival at the Australian Championships after winning five gold medals – the Under 17 surf race and tube race and as a member of the Under 17 Taplin and Surf Teams and Under 19 Surf Teams as well as Maroochydore and Brisbane Life Saving’s champion swimmer Chelsea Gillett and Mooloolaba beach sprinters Nicole Kay and Jason Gough.

Add outstanding boys in Daniel Collins (Redhead), Brad Woodward (Shelley Beach and The Hills Life Saving Club), Nik Green (Alexandra Headland) and Northcliffe / RLSS Queensland’s Bundaberg-based Matt Davis as well as Australian ironwoman champion Prue Davies from Currumbin and Byron Bay duo Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay / Port Hacking Lifeguard Club) and Joshua Brown and coach Brett Dowker has one of the most talented and exciting Youth teams ever assembled.

Davis won the Under 19 belt final at Aussies while Collins won the Under 17 surf race-Ironman double with Green second in the surf and third in the Ironman and Woodward third in the surf and second in the Ironman.

The Australian Open Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men - Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC) Captain, Andrew Bowden (Bronte (SLSC/ The Hills Life Saving Club) Jake Lynch (Newport SLSC) Ryan Napoleon (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club), Lachlan Tame (Avoca Beach SLSC).

Women - Miranda Bell (Northcliffe SLSC), Naomi Flood (Manly LSC), Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Melissa Howard (Kurrawa SLSC), Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe SLSC).

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team, World Life Saving Championships, Rescue 2014, Montpellier-La Grande-Motte, France, September 13-26, 2014:

Men - Joshua Brown (Byron Bay SLSC), Daniel Collins (Redhead SLSC), Matt Davis (Northcliffe SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Jason Gough (Mooloolaba SLSC), Nik Green (Alexandra Headlands SLSC), Brad Woodward (Shelley Beach SLSC / The Hills Life Saving Club).

Women - Prue Davies (Currumbin SLSC / RLSS Queensland), Chelsea Gillett (Maroochydore SLSC / Brisbane Life Saving), Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay SLSC / Port Hacking Lifeguard Club), Nicole Kay (Mooloolaba SLSC), Alyssa Koenan (Northcliffe SLSC), Georgia Miller (Manly LSC).

Team Management and Traveling Staff: Head Coach: Danny Short (Maroochydore SLSC), Team Manager: Keith Caldwell (Bulli SLSC), Assistant Coach: Wade Sinclair (Picnic Bay SLSC), Physiotherapy: Nick Marshall (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park SLSC), Sport Science/ Assistant Manager: Caitlin Braddick (Southport SLSC). Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC)

Australian Youth Lifesaving Team Management: Head Coach: Brett Dowker (Currumbin SLSC), Team Manager: Garry Mensforth (Umina SLSC), Assistant Coach: Craig Holden (Elliot Heads SLSC), Physiotherapy: Troy Eady (Byron Bay SLSC), Beach Coach: Martin Lynch (Newport SLSC).

Travelling staff members: Kitty Chiller – SLSA GM Capacity & Capability (Female Athlete Liaison – Australian Youth Lifesaving Team), Nathan Hight – SLSA Sport Manager (CEO’s Representative, Australian Lifesaving Team and Youth Lifesaving Team.

Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving Society - Australia organise and sanction a number of high performance qualifying and related events throughout the year that test the skills of our nation’s top lifesavers including:

The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships (The Aussies)

The Australian Pool Life Saving Championships (The APLSC)

Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series

Coolangatta Gold (endurance event)

Surf Rescue Challenge

The Australian Life Saving Team is joint venture between Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving Society - Australia.

www.sls.asn.au
www.royallifesaving.com.au
@sls_online
@RoyalLifeSaving
@auslifesaving
#roadtofrance

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia
Hanson Media Group

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