TRIATHLON:The hard work is paying off for young star Matthew Hauser with his selection confirmed overnight for the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team. The 16-year-old qualified for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in China earlier this year at the Australian Junior Triathlon Series at Penrith Lakes.
This will be Hauser’s first time selected for an Australian team and the young athlete cannot contain his excitement.
“Working with Brian Harrington (coach) and my fellow athletes has been amazing,” Hauser said.
“It’s a dream for all athletes to represent their country and doing so at such a young age is absolutely awesome and a great stepping stone for the years to come.”
The Queenslander has been moving up the triathlon ranks in the last 12 months with solid performances in the youth and junior competitions.
“I won the Youth category last year and I’m also a dual junior and intermediate schools triathlon champion but making the National Talent Academy has been one of the major highlights of my short career,” Hauser said.
The Xavier Catholic College student from Hervey Bay will have to push himself harder on the Nanjing triathlon course in China, as it is longer than the qualifying course at Penrith Lakes.
The Youth Olympics triathlon event is comprised of a 750 metre swim, a 20 kilometre bike leg and a five kilometre run. This is half the senior Olympic distance.
Hauser will have another opportunity to showcase his sporting talents in the mixed team relay, a special format of triathlon at the Youth Olympic Games. Racing alongside triathletes from Oceania countries, Hauser will compete against the other continents. The mixed team relay course is a 250m swim in open water; 6.6km cycle ride and a 1.8km run.
Australian Emma Snowsill, who won an Olympic gold edal in Triathlon at the 2008 Beijing Games, has been selected as an Athlete Role Model for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympics. Snowsill’s knowledge throughout the Games and inspiration will be invaluable for the athletes, in particular Hauser.
Triathlon will be held at the Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing on 17 – 20 and 21 August 2014. The Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games are the second Youth Olympics after Singapore hosted in the inaugural Games in 2010.
To follow, support and find out more information about the AYOT, visit the dedicated team website nanjing2014.olympics.com.au. For the latest social media news, follow AUSOlympicTeam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Google+.
The Triathlon team for the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team:
Matthew Hauser (16) QLD 4655
Phil Brent
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam
