Athletics Australia – News – Talented athletes targeted for future success

 

A gifted group of forty-three athletes have been added to the Target Talent Program for the 2012/13 season in recent weeks, with each athlete selected set to receive varied levels of athlete support to ensure their continued progression to elite athletics.

The individualised, needs-assessed nature of the program sees the athletes assessed to ensure the necessary support is in place for continuing their development. The program encourages high performance partners – including state and national institutes and academies of sport – to work in close collaboration with Athletics Australia to support the training needs of the athletes, and additionally the working environment of their equally talented personal coaches.

Rosie Ditton, Athletics Australia’s Target Talent Program Coordinator, said: “The Target Talent Program aims to support Australian athletes achieving world-class performances at a young age. We are supporting the individual needs of the athletes to develop Australia’s junior talent pool into athletes in the senior ranks.

“Providing the ideal bridge between strong junior performances and hopefully elite senior representation, the program also boasts a specific pillar that recognises the developing pool of indigenous talent Australia boasts."

In an exciting development for the program this year, the national Target Talent Program will coexist alongside a state-based model funded by Athletics Australia.

To be administered locally to reflect the key performance areas of each state individually, it is hoped that the undertakings of each member association will provide further scope for talent identification nationwide.

Ditton said: “Working with our member associations is something that the High Performance team, and Athletics Australia as a whole, are really keen to develop further than the strong relationships we already have. A state-based TTP allows for this because it provides an opportunity for athletes to engage with their states whilst introducing them to the national governing body and the rigours associated with elite representation.”

Nicholas Hough (NSW), who clocked a national record of 13.27 (w: -1.0) to win silver in the men’s 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Junior Championships earlier this year, is one of five athletes in Tier 1 of the program.

A multiple Australian Junior Athletics Championships gold medallist, Hough will benefit from the program for a second consecutive year after forming part of the Tier 2 group across 2011/12.

Hough said: “The most important thing that the TTP has provided me since my involvement is funding to compete across Australia, and also when I was selected to go to the world juniors, and access to great medical support.

“Being able to race against strong competition is so important and access to travel grants has been a great help for me. My coach has come along in some instances as well, and that’s a big bonus. He now sees how I race when I’m away and we can take that back to work on certain elements of my technique and what not at home in Sydney.

“Medically, the support of massage therapists and physios has been ideal since increasing my training load. They’ve kept me in one piece and that was a massive boost when getting ready for the world juniors and having a really intensive program in the lead up.”

For the coming year, athletes involved in the program have been split across five groups – Tiers 1 through 3, Elite/Sub-Elite and Indigenous.

To view and download information on the criteria for Target Talent Program support, please click here. 

Athletes who will form the Target Talent Program for 2012/13 are as follows:
Tier 1:
Dane Bird-Smith (Qld, 20km walk)
Damien Birkinhead (Vic, shot put)
Nicholas Hough (NSW, 110m hurdles, 200m)
Liz Parnov (WA, pole vault)
Jake Stein (NSW, decathlon)

Tier 2:
Luke Cann (NSW, javelin)
Tessa Consedine (Vic, 400m hurdles)
Cedric Dubler (Qld, decathlon)
Brandon Starc (NSW, high jump)
Brooke Stratton (Vic, long jump)
William White (Qld, javelin)

Tier 3:
Mitchell Cooper (Qld, discus)
Matthew Denny (Qld, discus, hammer throw)
Melissa Farrington (NSW, heptathlon)
Mikayla Genge (TAS, hammer throw)
Nina Kennedy (WA, pole vault)
Anna Laman (NSW, 1500m)
Paris McCathrion (Vic, pole vault)
Kaitlin Morgan (TAS, high jump)
Josie Nichol (NSW, triple jump)
Taylah Sengul (NSW, discus)

Elite/Sub-Elite:
Alex Beck (Qld, 400m)
Rhydian Cowley (ACT, 20km walk)
Eliza Curnow (Vic, 800m)
Taryn Gollshewsky (Qld, discus)
Alix Kennedy (NSW, discus)
Kim Mulhall (Vic, discus)
Amy Pejkovic (NSW, high jump)
Brett Robinson (NSW, 1500m)
Alex Rowe (Vic, 800m)
Emily Brichacek (ACT, 5000m)
Kane Brigg (Qld, triple jump)
Kelly Hetherington (Vic, 800m)
Blake Lucas (Vic, pole vault)
Chris Noffke (Qld, long jump)
Harry Summers (NSW, 5000m)
Lara Tamsett (NSW, 10000m)

Indigenous:
Wasie Toolis (Qld, javelin)
Brianna Bortolanza (Qld, shot put)
Josh Robinson (Qld, 200m, 400m)
Dallas Green (NSW, 100m)
Lope Goidobu (NT, 100m, 200m)
Shannon McCann (WA, 100m hurdles)
Laura Whaler (Vic, 100m)
Liam Gander (NSW, 100m)

 

 

 Athletics Australia – News