SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING: The future of short track speed skating certainly looks bright, with some of the nation’s best young talent lining up in the Australian Open Championships in Melbourne today.

With Sochi 2014 looming, it is all or nothing for the Aussie athletes as they look to earn a spot on the World Cup circuit and ultimately realise their Olympic dream.

The first event to be decided was the men’s 1500m with 16 youngsters jostling for a position in the A Final.

The glory belonged to 20-year-old Pierre Boda, who progressed through the heats and semi-finals with ease and then dominated the A Final to win in 2:27.20 ahead of 17-year-old Victorian Armstrong Lazenby in 2:27.31. Rising 16-year-old star Andy Jung rounded out the top three in 2:27.65.

Australia’s best female short track skater Deanna Lockett then took to the ice in the women’s 1500m. In a straight final, the 17-year-old was up against three other talented skaters in Sinead Fogarty, Alix-Myra Anderson and Alana Robertson as well as two other skaters from New Zealand.
 
The 1500m is Lockett’s pet event, having won bronze in it earlier in the year at the Junior World Championships, as well as notching up two top-five World Cup finishes.

The Brisbane local looked good from the outset and positioned herself on the back of Robertson in second place. With seven laps to go, Lockett made her move and took an unattainable lead.

Having not raced since the World Championships in March, Lockett was keen to use the event to get her mind-set back into racing mode. The look of steely determination on her face and her convincing win shows all signs that she is as determined as ever.

The second session of Day 1 competition continues this afternoon with the sprint action of the men’s and women’s 500m kicking off at 4.00pm AEST. The event is being streamed live at: https://new.livestream.com/atcproductions/speedskating

Alice Wheeler
@AUSOlympicTeam
olympics.com.au