Athletics Australia – News – MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: Excitement ahead as major championships approach

The close of the Australian athletics season brings with it much excitement because it is at this time annually that Athletics Australia Selectors sit down to reward the performances of our finest athletes by choosing them to represent their country. 

2013 is no different, and I am delighted to report that as of today well over 100 athletes have been offered the wonderful opportunity to don the green and gold at events including the IAAF World Championships, the IPC Athletics World Championships and the IAAF World Youth Championships.

These three major international championship teams will share the limelight with 29 athletes competing under the banner of the Australian ‘Uniroos’ at the 27th Summer Universiade, as well as Under 20 and Under 21 squads set to compete at the Bauhaus Junioren Gala in Mannheim, Germany, and the Taiwan Open Athletics Championships in Taipei City, Taiwan respectively in the coming months.

The pinnacle event of the IAAF World Athletics Series, the biannual IAAF World Championships to be held in Moscow, Russia, in August is likely to be the biggest ever, with preliminary entries indicating representation by 205 of the 212 IAAF member federations and record entries for both men and women.

Athletics Australia has to date confirmed the selection of 25 athletes, with 14 automatic selections added to the Australian Flame team at the conclusion of the Qantas Australian Athletics Championships. They will join the six athletes pre-selected on the basis of their performance at the 2012 London Olympic Games, as well as five athletes already named after success at Selection Trial events for the marathon, the men’s 50km walk and the 10,000m.

Competition in Moscow will commence less than two weeks after what I am sure will be a very successful sixth instalment of the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France.

Seeing the International Paralympic Committee hosted event return to France for a second time, the 26-strong Australian team selected to date includes all four gold medallists from the 2012 London Paralympic Games, 16 athletes who have achieved the Athletics Australia A-Qualifier and four Paralympic medallists from last year that also have an Athletics Australia B-Qualifier.

The qualification period for these two events remains open, and I have ongoing faith that Australian athletes will continue to stake their claim for selection just as Ben St Lawrence in the 10,000m, and Jessica Rothwell and Rhydian Cowley in the 20km walk have done in recent days.

The IAAF in 2013 will also host the IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine, in July.

Providing the first exposure for junior athletes under the banner of the International Associations of Athletics Federations, this outstanding event for those aged under 18 will hopefully provide a breeding ground of success for the 21 Australians selected after competition at the once again outstanding Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth.

The road to events overseas follows what was a very successful National Athletics Series, incorporating the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour.

It was a pleasure to see world-class athletics return to every Australian state, and I wholeheartedly thank the Athletics Australia Competition Department, as well as their partners at our hard-working member associations across the country, for the time and effort they put in to ensure each meet was engaging and entertaining.

The National Athletics Series annually showcases Australian track and field, and for this reason I would like to encourage the many talented athletes in this country to continue to support track and field events here at home. We always like to see as many of our Australian Flame stars as possible competing, and it is my hope that the level of athlete buy-in continues to improve well into the future.

In recent months we have also welcomed Simon Nathan into the role of Athletics Australia High Performance Director.

Capably immersing himself into his new role, Simon has already attended many Athletics Australia hosted events and he is currently in the midst of touring the country to meet and greet many of the athletes and coaches he will work with on the road to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Simon’s key priority in the coming months is the establishment of Athletics Australia’s strategy for high performance as we move into this new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, and with the release of high performance funding allocations by the Australian Sports Commission in recent weeks this is vitally important.

As I am sure many of you know Athletics Australia was allocated a high performance investment of $6.57 million, as well as an additional $1.43 million through the Australian Paralympic Committee for our Paralympic Preparation Program.

This allocation of funding unfortunately delivers an overall decrease in funding of our sport by the Australian Government, but we are pleased to remain in the top four sports nationally and were delighted to see the investment from the Australian Commonwealth Games Association to increase the Direct Athlete Support Scheme for the financial year 2013/14. 

Athletics receives little 'participation' monies from the Australian Sports Commission as we are not considered 'one sport'. The Australian Sports Commission, however, has just announced an additional one off offer of $2 million payment to help bring athletics together through a possible merge between Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia.

We also recognise that the Australian Sports Commission have been very forthright in declaring Australian sports focus on developing a culture of strong and transparent governance and their own commercial viability. The Athletics Australia Board of Directors and Executive Management team understand this message and we look forward to working with the Australian Sports Commission, and our many other partners, in improving our performance.

I would like to welcome former world champion and world record holder Nathan Deakes to the position of Chair of the Athletes’ Commission and as a consequence the position of athlete representative on the Athletics Australia Board of Directors.

Nathan attended his first Board Meeting last week and his role will see him act as the voice of the athletes at board level. I see this as a vitally important role and we look forward to working with Nathan to deliver outcomes that support what is the first priority of our sport – the athletes.

Late last week, the Australian Sports Commission, together with Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia made an announcement that references the commencement of a review into a potential merger of the two currently autonomous organisations.

I am pleased to report that this process is already underway, with a working group comprising representatives from both Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia coming together for the first time last week. The review process will take approximately six weeks and an announcement of conclusions will be made by 30 June this year.

It is important to note that by undertaking this review process, Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia are not committing to a merger and any future changes recommended by the working party will be subject to ratification by the member associations of both.

That said, I thank the Australian Sports Commission and Little Athletics Australia for undertaking this process with us, and look forward to working closely with our most important partner for thebenefit of our sport now and into the future.

The unwavering cooperation and support of the International Association of Athletics Federations, the Australian Olympic Committee, the Australian Paralympic Committee, the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, the Oceania Athletics Federation and Athletics International is also abundantlyappreciated.

Additionally, for their encouragement and financial support across the beginning of 2013, I would like to extend our thanks to our commercial partners Qantas, Be the Influence, Asics, 2XU and the Art Series Hotel Group, as well as our government partners Eventscorp Western Australian, Destination NSW, the Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Department of Sport and Recreation Victoria.

In closing I believe it would be remiss of me not to comment on the very tragic bombings of the Boston Marathon. One of the most famous and well attended running events in the world; I was shocked and saddened to see a sporting event of this nature targeted for an unnecessary act of violence.

I extend my most sincere condolences to the families of those affected by theincident, and from an Athletics Australia perspective I congratulate the many Australian athletes competing at the event for their care and concern about their fellow competitors and the city of Boston in very trying circumstances.

Sport has always provided a means of uniting the world, and it is my hope that people across the globe unite to ensure that our participation in events like the Boston Marathon and attendance at major events like the Olympic or Commonwealth Games continues to grow.

I look forward to sharing the international season with you all, and wish all Australians competing and their most capable personal coaches the very best of luck.

ROBIN H FILDES OAM
Athletics Australia President

 

Athletics Australia – News