Commonwealth Youth Games 2023: Australia’s track & field teens to watch, 2032 Olympic prospects
They are our Olympians and world championship hopefuls of the future - the best young track and field aces in Australia. Meet the teens hitting the world stage at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
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Some of the best and brightest young guns in Australian sport - and athletes already identified as potential future Olympians and world championship competitors - will represent Australia in track and field events at Trinbago 2023.
And there’s been plenty of buzz around a number of young guns heading to the Commonwealth Youth Games starting to make their names in the sport.
Team manager Miles Thompson said the festival is an important part of an athletes journey to future success.
“There is medal potential in the team. We would like to come back with some for sure,’’ Thompson said.
“These athletes are also the right age to be in the window for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.’’
Thompson said the event will provide invaluable experience to our next crop of athletics stars.
“It’s a really good opportunity to learn and an important step on their pathway,’’ he said.
Big things are being tipped for the likes of NSW sensation Delta Amidzovski, a hurdler and long jumper with talent and titles galore turning plenty of heads locally and internationally.
High jumper Izobelle Louison-Roe is also claiming a share of the limelight after she collected three gold and a silver at the Australian junior track ands field championships this year.
Charlize Goody is another to watch after the Ipswich young gun won four Australian medals in under 18 and under 20 events with Toby Stolberg, also from Ipswich, impressing with her eighth at the world juniors in the high jump.
Team member Indiana Cooper has the experience of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham behind her while Charlotte McAuliffe is a talented 400m runner who is impressing and Chelsey Wayne has strong results in the discus leading into the event from August 4-11 where more than 1000 athletes between 14 and 18 will battle in seven different sports.
Gaby Vincient, one of only two young guns in the athletics team from Victoria, also has international experience having raced at the world cross country championships Bathurst earlier this year.
Below is a guide to all our rising stars of track and field athletics heading to Trindidad & Tobago.
Zara Hagan (QLD): Hagan is a member of the QE2 track club in Queensland and a talent with speed to burn. She will compete in both the 100m and 200m for Australia. She won the Australian U18 100m in 11.60sec and finished fifth in U20 100m. She also ran the 200m at the U20 nationals.
Indiana Cooper (NSW): Cooper, a rising star of Paralympic sport, trains with the South Canberra athletics club and is competing in the women’s 100m T38 class. This speedster was also a member of Australia’s 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham where she impressively made the final of the 100m.
Akeesha Snowden (SA): A South Australia from the Hills District Athletics club. Snowden will be testing herself against some of the best in the world in the 100m in the T38 class.
Grace Krause (NSW): Krause is from the Temora Athletics club and will compete in the 200m and the long jump events at Trinbago 2023. She’s a rising star of athletics and nabbed three personal bests at the Australian championships. The Australian U17 100m and 200m champion will race the 200m and contest the long jump at the games.
Charlotte McAuliffe (SA): This 400m runner is from the Pembroke Athletics club in South Australia. In an impressive performance she took thedouble in the under 18 and under 20 400m racing at the Australian championships. She will race her open event at the Games.
Fleur Cooper(NSW): Cooper hails from the well known UTS Norths club in Sydney and will be competing in both the 800m and 1500m races. She is the Australian 800m under 18 champion.
Gabrielle Vincent (VIC): Vincient is from the South Melbourne Athletics club and will be competing in the 3000m overseas. She is the reigning Australian 3000m champion and also competed at the world cross country championships in Bathurst earlier this year.
Delta Amidzovski (NSW): A rising star of Australian athletics from Wollongong south of Sydney and member of the Roger Fabri Speed Academy. Amidzovski broke her own record in the U18 division at the NSW titles in the 100m hurdles 76.2cm. She also won the Australian crown in the 110m hurdles with a sizzling 13.02 record time. She will be competing in the 100m hurdles and long jump.
Jasynta Lampret (NSW): From the south of Sydney and a member of the Sutherland Districts club. She is to compete in the 100m hurdles.At the last Australian championships Lampret won silver medals in both the 100m and 200m. She also won a silver at the Australian All Schools in the 100m hurdles and the 100m sprint.
Izobelle Louison-Roe (NSW): Another young gun who has bee turning heads. At the NSW titles she set personal bests in all her events. The St George athlete won the U17 100m hurdles in 14.05, the long jump in 5.82m, the triple jump in 12.83m and the high jump with 1.82m. She also won three gold and silver at the Australian juniors and will compete in the high jump.
Toby Stolberg (QLD): A talented high jumper from Ipswich. She has been competing since she was just four with some of her recent results including a memorable eighth at the World junior championships and a first and second at the Australian all schools and under 18 nationals respectively. She is also in the high jump.
Niamh Mac Alasdair (WA): Western Australia has impressive representation in this team. Mac Alasdair is a member of theKinetic track squad in WA and will be competing in the long jump T38. She won a 100m bronze and 200m silver at the Australian championships.
Reese Prior (WA): From UWAAC in Western Australia, Prior will be competing in the women’s long jump in the T38 division. Top recent performances include her winning bronze in the long jump at the Australian champs and bronze in the under 17 Para Australian cross country titles last year.
Xylavene Beale (NSW): A talented shot putter from the Albury Athletics club. She is the Australian champions with a dream of competing in the Olympic arena and the world stage in the future.
Chelsey Wayne (NSW): Is from Athletics Wollongong and will be lining up in the discus at the event. Wayne impressed when she won abronze medal in this discipline at the Australian Open championships and was the youngest person to win the NSW Open crown in 41 years.
Charlize Goody (QLD) A Queenslander from the Ipswich Districts Athletics club. She was a star competitor at the Australian championships, winning four medals in under 18 and under 20 events. She also won gold in the discus at the Mini Pacific Games last year. She will be competing in the discus.
Josiah John (WA): From the UWA club and ASAS Sports Academy this young gun will be racing the 100m and 200m. At a successful Aussie champs he won bronze in the under 18 100m and silver in the 200m earlier this year. He is also the 100m state champion.
Andrew Maenda (SA): Is from the Saints athletics club and a sprinter who will compete in the 100m. He comes into the Games after setting four state records in the under 16 and under 18 age divisions.
Jackson Love (NSW): His club is Sydney Pacific Athletics and Love will compete in the 100m T38 and long jump events overseas. He goes into the Games having equalled the Australian 100m all-comers record and with the Oceania T35 open 100m record.
Ori Drabkin (VIC): Represents Maccabi Athletics and will compete in the 100m T38 and long jump at the event. He is a big talent and holds Australian records in the 100m, 200m and 800m to be one of our brightest prospects.
Daniel Williams (NSW): One to watch for in the future. He hails from the Byron Bay runners club and will be competing in the 1500m. Williams turned plenty of heads at theAustralian Championships where he won gold in the under 18 800m and 1500m. In 2022 he broke the Australian under 16 1500m record.
Ky Hehir (WA): Is from the UWA Athletics club and has been there since he was at primary school. He will be racing in the 3000m - a distance he won a national title in and also holds the Western Australian record in for the under 18s.
Jack Love (QLD): From the Tigers Athletics club he will compete in the 400m hurdles.
In 2023 Love won the 400m hurdles at the Australian championships, defending the crown he won in 2022. He is the current Australian record holder with a blistering 51.62.
Matthew Hunt (NSW): Another athlete from the UTS Norths. He will race the 400m hurdles after claiming a silver in the under 18 event at the Australian championships. He is the NSW champion and 2022 All Schools titleholder.
George Wells (NSW): From the Mingara Regional Athletics club on the NSW central coast. He will be competing in the discus. Wells, who also has ties to Gosford athletics club, is the U18 discus and shot put Australian champion and another to watch in the field.
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