Team GB athletes begin arriving in Sydney for the 5th Australian Youth Olympic Festival
09 Jan 2009
Team GB athletes have begun arriving in Sydney for the 5th Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) which runs from 14-18 January. 120 British athletes aged between 13 –19 years will compete across 11 Olympic sports: archery, canoe/kayak; diving; equestrian; fencing; gymnastics; hockey; rowing; shooting; triathlon and beach volleyball. Alongside Great Britain, 23 other countries including the USA and China will be competing.
The 2009 AYOF is the second time that Great Britain has been invited to compete in the AYOF. 106 Team GB athletes attended the 2007 AYOF with 91 returning to the UK with at least one medal. Eight athletes from Team GB’s 2007 delegation competed for Great Britain at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games with both Louis Smith (gymnastics) and Tom Lucy (rowing) winning Olympic medals at the 2008 AYOF in Sydney and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Commenting on his 2007 AYOF experience diver Tom Daley added:
“Being selected to represent Team GB at the AYOF gave me a real sense of competing in a multi-sport environment, it was a great opportunity to get a taste of the Olympics, from living in an Olympic Village, to competing in front of big crowds and having the HQ support network there to help you. Winning my youth medal inspired me to want to win an Olympic gold medal in London 2012”.
Following in Daley’s footsteps will be two young divers hoping to emulate his path, 14 year-old European Junior Champion James Milton and 14 year-old European Junior silver medallist Megan Sylvester who will be looking to extend their international experience at the start of the 2012 Olympic cycle.
Other names to watch out for include:
Equestrian’s William Whitaker, nephew of multiple Olympians John and Michael, who will be looking to add to his family’s successful Olympic record.
Triathlete Jonathan Brownlee, brother of Team GB Beijing Olympian Alistair Brownlee, has been doing really well for himself with bronze medals in both the World and European Junior Championships last year and has been national champion three years running (2006-2008).
European Junior Champion Jess Walker from flatwater canoeing. Jess was a member of the Beijing Olympic squad.
Rower’s Matt Rossiter, George Nash and Kieren Emery all won gold at the 2007 World Junior Championships in the men’s four.
Scottish hockey player Laura Bartlett already has Olympic Games experience under her belt having represented Team GB in Beijing as a late replacement.
Leading Team GB at the AYOF Mark England, Chef de Mission said:
“As part of the BOA’s desire to discover future Olympic champions and provide them with the experience of participating in multi-sport events, this festival presents a fantastic opportunity for 120 of our finest young potential Olympians to get their first taste of Olympic competition.
With the London Olympic Games less than four years away, many of these athletes will be looking to use this experience as a stepping stone to 2012 and Team GB will be striving to build upon the success it achieved at the AYOF in 2007 and Beijing in 2008.”
For further information including athlete interviews please contact Becki Middleton in Sydney on 00 61 44927962 or Philip Wilkinson on 00 61 424 229971.
You will be able keep up to date with the latest news and results from Australia on the BOA website: http://www.olympics.org.uk/ayof09/home.aspx