Australia Ready to Roll at 2015 FINA World Junior Championships

Nicholas Groenewald
Photo Courtesy: Nunawading Swim Club

After topping the medal tally in Dubai 2013, the 30-strong Australian World Junior team have settled into Singapore and are preparing to race the best young swimmers from all over the world at the 2015 FINA World Junior Championships.

This year the competition will see the rising stars unite to race from Tuesday 25 to Sunday 30 August and will be the fourth time Australia has sent a team to compete.

The Championships, which first began in 2006, in Rio de Janeiro, are held every two years and allow age group swimmers to develop international race skills and gain valuable elite level experience that mirrors the senior competition.

Swimming Australia Performance Pathways Manager, Jamie Salter said: “We have a good balance of new talent and experienced swimmers on the team who are excited to perform on the world stage.

“For some this will be their first experience of an international meet so it will be a great opportunity to race against other international swimmers and learn what it is like to compete on the world stage.”
One of those swimmers who has already had a taste of the Dolphins is Kyle Chalmers. After returning from Kazan just over a week ago, silver medallist from the 2015 FINA World Championships Chalmers will headline the Aussie team as one of the ‘ones to watch’ on the international stage.

After making his senior team debut at just 17-years-of-age, Chalmers impressed at the international level, maintaining his composure to split a 47.92 in the heats of the 4x100m freestyle relay heats and a 47.86 in the 4x100m medley heats; winning a silver medal for his efforts in the medley relay heat.

Chalmers will follow in the footsteps of a number of our current Dolphins that previously competed at a World Junior Championship event, including; Tommaso D’Orsogna, Grant Irvine, Ben Treffers, Joshua Beaver, Cameron McEvoy, Bronte Campbell, Brianna Throssell, Taylor McKeown, and Mack Horton.

In Singapore, Chalmers will take on more of a leadership role on the junior team and be looking to continue his run of success from Russia.

The South Australian, coached by Shelly Jarrett will also up the ante in his racing schedule, taking on two individual races; the 50 and 100m freestyle with relays also on the cards for the talented teen.

Joining Chalmers is a host of impressive young swimmers including Australian Age Group Champion and record holder Matthew Wilson (SOPAC).

Sixteen-year-old Wilson is moving his way up the domestic breaststroke ranks and currently holds the 14, 15 and 16 years Australian age group records for the 100 and 200m breaststroke events.

Currently living in the Blue Mountains and driving into training at Sydney Olympic Park daily, Wilson’s commitment and dedication are starting to pay off and he will no doubt be keen to prove his potential on the international stage when he takes on the 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke.

In the women’s sprint freestyle, 16-year-old Shayna Jack will be looking to emulate the success of dual World Champion Bronte Campbell who in 2011 won gold in the 50m freestyle at the World Junior Championships.

Jack will be racing at her second World Junior Championships after competing in Dubai at the 2013 event where she finished with a bronze medal in the 100m free and will this year take on the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle events as well as the 50m backstroke.

Swimming Australia Gold Coast Gold Coach Glenn Beringen said, “The World Junior team took a lot of confidence form the Senior Team’s ability to hit their peak performance at the Senior World Championships in Kazan. We will be looking to carry on the momentum through Singapore and into the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa as well.

“The World Junior Championships is a fantastic chance for Australia’s emerging junior swimmers to develop their race skills in a professional environment. The swimmers are adjusting well to Singapore and I am looking forward to seeing them race.”

Swimming Australia would like to recognise and thank the ACGA for the support provided for our Youth Development programs.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World. To reach our audience, contact us at newsmaster@swimmingworld.com.

2015 FINA World Juniors Team

 

First Name Last Name Age Club State
 

Male Athletes

Grayson Bell 18 TSS Aquatics QLD
Jack Cartwright 16 St Peters Western QLD
Kyle Chalmers 16 Marion SA
Vincent Dai 17 Cherrybrook Carlile NSW
Mitchell Davenport-Wright 17 Melbourne Vicentre VIC
Damian Fyfe 17 West Coast WA
Bowen Gough 16 Nunawading VIC
Nicholas Groenewald 17 Nunawading VIC
Clyde Lewis 17 Brothers QLD
Tristan Ludlow 17 St Peters Western QLD
Brayden McCarthy 17 Palm Beach Currumbin QLD
Joshua Parrish 17 TSS Aquatics QLD
Dominic Richardson 17 TSS Aquatics QLD
Callum Sherington 17 Carlile NSW
Jacob Vincent 16 Miami QLD
Matthew Wilson 16 SOPAC NSW
Bradley Woodward 16 Mingara NSW
Samuel Young 17 East Brisbane QLD
 

Female Athletes

Minna Atherton 14 Brisbane Grammar QLD
Ella Bond 17 Marion SA
Tamsin Cook 16 West Coast WA
Gemma Cooney 15 River City Rapids QLD
Shanella Gee 16 St Peters Western QLD
Shayna Jack 16 Chandler QLD
Lucia Lassman 17 Miami QLD
Lucy McJannett 17 Bayside NSW
Mikayla Messer 15 Chandler QLD
Calypso Sheridan 16 Brisbane Grammar QLD
Ariarne Titmus 14 Launceston TAS
Elyse Woods 16 Melbourne Vicentre VIC
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