His father is an Olympian. His oldest sister is an Olympian. His second oldest sister is a ‘Youth Olympian’. Now he can also claim a degree of Olympic status.
 
Sixteen-year-old Max Esposito has qualified a spot in modern pentathlon for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing, China.
 
Esposito finished fourth at the recent Asia and Oceania YOG qualification event in Astana, Kazakhstan. As the first Oceania finisher, Esposito qualified a quota place for Australia and in doing so will be allocated the spot at the YOG in August next year.
 
“I am very happy with my performance.. and very satisfied for my first ever international competition,” Esposito said.
 
“I was pleased with my fencing and with my swim, finishing with a personal best of 2.06. I still have to work on my shooting technique a little more.”
 
The teenager is excited to know he will be competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games next year.
 
“YOG is important to me,” he said. “It will be the stepping stone for future events to come.”
 
Esposito from Casula in NSW is the son of 1984 Olympian Daniel Esposito and sister of 2012 Olympian Chloe Esposito, who both competed in modern pentathlon.
 
“You could just say it just runs in the family,” he said.
 
“I got into pentathlon through my father. He competed in the 1984 Games and was also selected for 1988 Seoul Games but had to withdraw one week before due to his Achilles snapping.
 
“Then my eldest sister competed in the London Olympics last year and came seventh, the best result for Australia women's pentathlon in a while.”
 
The teenager does not need to leave home to get advice on his sport, training and competition, but realises ultimately his results are up to him.
 
“I get lots of advice from my family and training with my sister is great help,” he said.
 
“But it is a sport that you have to do the work all on your own. If you want something done properly do it yourself, is what Mum and Dad always say.”
 
A new millennia and broadcast technology has forced modern pentathlon to change. The running and shooting event is now combined and continues to evolve.
 
“The combined event has been changed to 4 x 800metre runs,” Esposito said.
 
“It originally was a 3km cross country run but now the sport is trying to make it viewer friendly. The course is held on the running track so viewers can see the whole event happening right in front of them.
 
Esposito says that while your heart is racing, you have to be mentally strong to get your shots off within a time of 50 seconds.
 
“You shoot five shots and then run 800metres and so on four times.”
 
The Sydneysider is taking a well deserved week’s break, before returning to the grind stone.
 
“I will be training nearly every day, working on my technique and the mistakes I made in the qualifier.”
 
And he is very proud to now claim some Olympian status.
 
“I feel very privileged to represent my country in a sport that not many people know about even though it celebrated 100 years at the Olympic Games in London 2012.”
 
Esposito will be joined in Nanjing by fellow Sydneysider Marina Carrier, who finished 14th at the Asia and Oceania YOG Qualification event and thus secured a spot at next year’s Youth Olympic Games.

“In order to move forward and improve in Modern Pentathlon, I need all the competition experience I can get,” Carrier said. “And it doesn’t get much better than the Youth Olympic Games.”

Like most athletes at the YOG, Carrier will be juggling her sporting commitments with her education.

“Along with the YOG, next year is also my Higher School Certificate year, so it’s going t be a finely tuned balance between training and studying (and staying sane),” she said. “Bring it on.”

Frances Cordaro
@AUSOlympicTeam