Commonwealth Games: Young stars look forward to 2020 Tokyo Olympics
AFTER the Commonwealth Games delivered Australia a treasure trove of medals and the perfect base for the 2020 Olympics, schoolgirl-turned-golden girl Ariarne Titmus says it best: “It is looking good for Tokyo.”
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SCHOOLGIRL-turned-golden girl Ariarne Titmus says it best: “It is looking good for Tokyo.”
The Commonwealth Games has delivered Australia a treasure trove of gold medals and the perfect base for the 2020 Olympics.
Three of our best young prospects revealed was now a strong spirit and confidence among the new generation who will focus on chasing Olympic gold.
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“The depth of Australian athletes in these Games has been somewhat surprising to some but being a part of a new group of athletes coming through ... everyone is super motivated to get to the next Olympic Games,’’ cycling gold medallist Kelland O’Brien, 20, told News Corp.
“I hope everyone has a good time off now, puts their heads down and in two years time in Tokyo we will do the same again,’’ he said.
“My goal has always been to represent my country at the Olympic Games.”
The aim for 20km race walking gold medallist Jemima Montag is to be able to dedicate herself full time to sport and chasing her next glory.
She currently works part time in research administration for fruit delivery company, The Fruit Box Group, and supplements her living by babysitting and tutoring.
“With athletics, there is a window of opportunity, maybe it is eight or 10 years that you can really give it your all,” she said.
“It would be nice to be able to focus on it completely and not to have to worry with fussing around with part-time jobs. A part of the reason that this young bunch have really been able to surge to the top so quickly is that Australia is really supporting us and I think if they continue to do that better and better, we will continue to see that.”
Australia won 73 medals in the pool — 28 gold, 21 silver and 24 bronze — the country’s largest haul at a single Games, eclipsing the 57 medals won in Glasgow four years ago, and propelling freestyle young gun Titmus into stardom.
”There’s heaps of young people coming through and it goes to show you can do well in sport as well as juggle other things in life,” Titmus said.
Titmus, who won three gold and a silver, will continue studying Year 12 as well as competing.
“I was told I wouldn’t be able to do it with school but you can always find a way around it,’’ she said.
“I used to be worried I would beat the older girls and they wouldn’t like me but everyone is just there to compete and no one is not going to like you because you’ve done well.”
Originally published as Commonwealth Games: Young stars look forward to 2020 Tokyo Olympics