Athletics Australia – News – Australian Spark

More Australians than ever will compete at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene (USA) from July 22-27, 2014.

Eclipsing the previous biggest team from 1996 when Sydney (NSW) was the event host, the contingent of 61 of our most talented up and coming athletes is likely to expand even further, as the Selection Trial for the Combined Events (heptathlon, decathlon) will not be held until early next month.

"Athletics Australia Selectors are thrilled to be able to announce the largest ever squad to compete at the IAAF World Junior Championships," Dion Russell, the Athletics Australia Chairman of Selectors, said.

"More than half of those that will compete in individual events were added automatically after performing at a level that saw them select themselves by winning the Selection Trial with a qualifier, and the depth of talent has also allowed for the confirmation of all four relays. This is an excellent result."

"The size of this team, and the depth of talent within it, comes as a direct consequence of the tireless work of our developing junior athletes alongside their skilled personal coaches. I congratulate all those that have earned their Australian Spark uniform in 2014," Sara Mulkearns, Athletics Australia Junior High Performance Manager, added.

"Further to that, Athletics Australia can take pride in the fact that the dedicated effort we have made to developing a strong pathway for talented juniors continues to reap rewards. This team includes many athletes who are supported as part of the National Athlete Support Structure, as well as those that have participated in the programs for our Under 17 Development and Under 19 Talent Squads.

"I sincerely thank the families, coaches and support networks of our selected athletes for the work that they do to ensure that our best talent can continue to develop in the sport, as well as the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and Athletics International for their financial contribution to making our programs a reality."

Excitingly for the future of track and field, 72 athletes achieved a qualifying performance in the allocated Qualification Period, which is an increase from 62 in 2012 and 38 in 2010. The number of performances at or better than the Qualification Standard also soared beyond 200 for the second consecutive time which is up from only 97 in 2010.

Twenty selected athletes took part in Athletics Australia's Under 19 Talent Squad in 2013, with a further five – Nina Kennedy (WA, pole vault), Aliyah Johnson (Qld, triple jump), Matthew Denny (Qld, discus, hammer throw), Nathan Brill (Vic, 10,000m walk) and Georgia Wassall (NSW, 800m) – members of the National Athlete Support Structure at the Potential Level.

Twenty-seven athletes who will compete in individual events earned automatic selection by achieving the qualifier, equal to top-16 in the world, and winning the national title at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships. A further 24 athletes medalled in their respective events and had qualifying performances to their name.

Highlighting the depth of our junior ranks currently, IAAF World Youth Champions Mackenzie Little (NSW, javelin) and Eleanor Patterson (Vic, high jump) are not named due to their focus on Year 12 studies and the Commonwealth Games respectively this year.

Athletics Australia Selectors have also confirmed the junior race walkers that will compete at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup.

Set to join the already selected team of ten, the six athletes who will compete in the girl's and boy's junior 10km road walk are Jemima Montag (Vic), Clara Smith (Qld), Elizabeth Hosking (ACT), Jesse Osborne (Vic), Nathan Brill (Vic) and Tyler Jones (NSW).

For more information on the IAAF World Junior Championships, please follow this link to iaaf.org.

The 2014 Australian Combined Events Championships will be held as part of the 92nd Australian Athletics Championships and Selection Trails on April 3-6 in Melbourne. Athletes selected in these events will be added in the days following the Championship.

 

Athletics Australia – News

15th IAAF World Junior Championships
Eugene (USA)
22-27 July 2014 

GIRLS (31)
100m: Hana Basic (Vic), Larissa Chambers (Qld)
200m: Maddie Coates (Vic)
400m: Molly Blakey (NSW), Emily Lawson (Vic)
800m: Georgia Wassall (NSW), Georgia Griffith (Vic)
1500m: Anna Laman (NSW)
3000m: Jessica Hull (NSW), Samantha Prime (Vic)
5000m: Kate Spencer (NSW), Courtney Powell (Vic)
100m hurdles: Daniela Roman (Vic), Katrina Hunt (NSW)
400m hurdles: Ella Solin (WA)
3000m steeplechase: Stella Radford (Vic), Kate Spencer (NSW)
10,000m walk: Jasmine Dighton (NSW), Tayla-Paige Billington (Vic)
Pole vault: Nina Kennedy (WA), Emma Phillipe (WA)
High jump: Cassie Purdon (Qld), Nicola McDermott (NSW)
Long jump: Naa Anang (Qld), Audrey Kyriacou (NSW)
Triple jump: Aliyah Johnson (Qld)
Discus throw: Filoi Aokuso (NSW), Kirsty Williams (Qld)
4x100m relay: Hana Basic (Vic), Larissa Chambers (Qld), Daniela Roman (Vic), Brittany Burkitt (Vic), Katrina Hunt (NSW), Sam Geddes (NSW)
4x400m relay: Molly Blakey (NSW), Emily Lawson (Vic), Samantha Lind (Tas), Courtney Geraghty (Qld), Ella Solin (WA), Georgia Wassall (NSW) 

BOYS (30)
100m: Josh Clarke (NSW)
200m: James Kermond (NSW), Ryan Bedford (Qld)
400m: Joshua Robinson (Qld), Sam Reiser (Vic)
800m: Luke Matthews (Vic), Jordan Makin (WA)
1500m: Zak Patterson (Vic), Jack Stapleton (NSW)
5000m: Morgan McDonald (NSW)
110m hurdles: Ivor Metcalf (NSW), Matthew De Bruin (Vic)
400m hurdles: Bryce Collins (NSW)
10,000m walk: Nathan Brill (Vic), Jesse Osborne (Vic)
Pole vault: Jack Hicking (NSW), Kurtis Marschall (SA)
High jump: Joel Baden (Vic)
Long jump: Henry Smith (Vic)
Discus throw: Matthew Denny (Qld), Mitchell Cooper (Qld)
Hammer throw: Matthew Denny (Qld), Costa Kousparis (NSW)
Javelin: Rhys Stein (NSW)
4x100m relay: Josh Clarke (NSW), Jacob Despard (Tas), Anthony Collum (NSW), Ryan Bedford (Qld), Jesse Usoalii (Tas), Trae Williams (Qld)
4x400m relay: Joshua Robinson (Qld), James Kermond (NSW), Sam Reiser (Vic), James Kaluschke (NSW), Christian Foster (NSW), Dan Forsyth (Qld)