Vicky Parnov (AUS) (© Getty Images)
Athletics Australia has selected 52 athletes for the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships to be held in Beijing China, 15 – 20 August, with the team size likely to increase with further selections in July.
The additional selections should ensure the team is the largest ever Australian World Junior team to compete overseas, surpassing the 53 selected for the 1994 World Junior Championships held in Lisbon. The largest ever Australia World Junior team numbered 59, when they competed on home soil in Sydney in 1996.
The Australian line-up includes five members of the successful 2006 Commonwealth Games team: Kane Brigg, Vicky Parnov, Lauren Boden and two medallists Dani Samuels (bronze – Discus Throw) and Jamiee-Lee Hoebergen (gold - 4x400m relay).
Two new individual stars emerging from the team include 800m runner, Lachlan Renshaw and long jumper Robbie Crowther. Both were very close to Commonwealth Games selection, improving dramatically last summer. Renshaw’s best time last summer of 1:47.97, was the fastest time by an Australian junior for nine years. Crowther, who leapt 7.99m, equalled the Australian junior record and his performance would have ranked him number two Junior in the world in 2005. Interestingly these are events which Australia has a very good record at World Junior level. At 800m, Australia has won three medals, and in the long jump the athletes claimed two medals and seven top-8 places.
A feature of the team is the number of athletes which have previous International Championship experience. Athletes like Samuels, Hoebergen will be competing at their fifth Championships in the last five years. They both competed at the 2003 World Youth Championships and have since competed at three of the following: 2004 World Juniors, 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games, 2005 World Youth Championships and 2006 Commonwealth Games. There is a logical progression from the 2005 World Youth (U18) Championships with 17 athletes making that step, but the following athletes have competed at more than one of the previous Junior/Youth Championships, and bring much experience to their 2006 World Junior Championship campaigns: Chris Noffke (’04 WJ, ’04 CYG, ’05 WY), Brandan Galic (’04 WJ, ’04 CYG), Katherine Katsanekavis (’04 WJ, ’04 CYG, ’05 WY), Madeline Heiner (’04 WJ, ’04 CYG, ‘04/05 WXC), Sophia Begg (’03/’05 WY, ’04 CYG), Annabel Thomson (’03 WY, ’04 WJ, ‘04 CYG) and Kane Brigg (’04 CYG, ’05 WY).
Could this wave of juniors be emerging as Australia’s best group for over a decade? Regarded as the finest World Junior team, the 1990 team provided the nucleus of the National team during the ‘90s. Standout members of the successful 1990 World Junior team included: Cathy Freeman, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Tim Forsyth, Kyle Vander-Kuyp, Jane Saville, Renee Poetschka, Rohan Robinson, Andrew Currey, Damien Marsh, Simon Hollingsworth, Paul Greene, Susan Andrews, Kylie Hanigan and Chris Unthank.
David Tarbotton - Athletics Australia - for the IAAF
Australian Team for the
11th IAAF World Junior Championships
Beijing, CHINA, 15-20 August 2006
MEN
100m Todd Bateman (S), Aaron Rouge-Serret (V)
200m Kurt Mulcahy (N), Aaron Vanderent (N)
400m Alex Bubner (S), Dylan Grant (Q)
800m Lachlan Renshaw (N)
1500m Adam Graham (Q)
110m Hurdles Adam Slezark (N), Lachlan Stanton (Q)
400m Hurdles Felipe De Castro Cruz (W)
3000m Steeplechase Ben Ashkettle (V)
High Jump Kane Brigg (Q, Liam Zamel-Paez (Q)
Pole Vault *Matt Boyd (Q), *Matei Tzvetanov (W)
Long Jump Robbie Crowther (Q), +Chris Noffke (Q)
Shot Emanuele Fuamatu (N), *Joe Stevens (Q)
Javelin Nathan Burgess (V)
4x100m relay Bateman, Harry Egan (N), Brandan Galic (A), Rouge-Serret, Vanderent,
4x400m Relay Bubner, Tristan Garrett (N), Grant, Mulcahy, Renshaw
WOMEN
100m Kate Leitch (Q), Laura Verlinden (N)
200m Leitch, Verlinden
400m Jacqueline Davies (Q), Jaimee-Lee Hoebergen (N)
800m Zoe Buckman (A), Katherine Katsanevakis (V)
1500m Madeleine Heiner (N), Brooke Simpson (N)
3000m Lucy Starrat (N), Lara Tamsett (N)
3000m Steeplechase Sarah Grahame (V), Heiner
100m Hurdles Tara Holt (N)
400m Hurdles Lauren Boden (A)
High Jump Sophia Begg (N)
Pole Vault Charmaine Lucock (Q), Vicky Parnov (W)
Long Jump Boden
Triple Jump +Linda Allen (Q)
Shot Dani Samuels (N)
Discus Samuels
Javelin Zoe Pelbart (N), Annabel Thomson (N)
10,000m Walk Tanya Holliday (S)
Heptathlon Megan Wheatley (W)
4x100m relay Jess Gulli (V), Elizabeth Jenkins (N), Briony Kanard (N), Leitch, Verlinden
4x400m Relay Angeline Blackburn (A), Davies, Hoebergen, Suzie Knight (V), Katherine Robb (S)
* Athlete must achieve another World Junior qualifying performances to confirm their selection (this will be their pre-departure standard).
+ Athlete selected subject to fitness.