Rising 15-year-old freestyle star Emma McKeon is among eight athletes nominated by Swimming Australia to the Australian Olympic Committee for inclusion in the Australian Youth Olympic Team to compete in Singapore from 14-26 August.
Rising 15-year-old freestyle star Emma McKeon is among eight athletes nominated by Swimming Australia to the Australian Olympic Committee for inclusion in the Australian Youth Olympic Team to compete in Singapore from 14-26 August.
McKeon, who won four gold and two silver medals at the recent Australian Age Championships in Sydney, heads the list which includes Max Ackerman, Justin James, Nicholas Schafer, Brittany Elmslie, Emily Selig and Madison Wilson who have all been nominated to represent Australia at the Youth Olympic Games.
It is anticipated the swimmers will be officially selected by the AOC early next week with the full Australian Youth Olympic Team announced in July.
The Wollongong based freestyle specialist, whose father Ron McKeon swam at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games, won gold in the 15yrs 50, 100, 200 and 400m freestyle at the Australian Championships and also took silver in the 100m backstroke and butterfly in a commanding performance.
Melbourne schoolgirl Emily Selig won two gold medals and one silver to earn nomination for the team, while fellow 17-year-old Kenneth To from Trinity Grammar in Sydney won one gold, three silver and a bronze in his bid to make the team for Singapore.
Swimming Australia Head Coach Leigh Nugent says the eight nominated athletes are well placed to compete on the world stage and being nominated for the Youth Olympic Games is just another important step in their development.
“This is a great opportunity for these eight swimmers to race against the best in the world in their age group and the experience they’ll gain will be invaluable,” said Nugent.
“There is every chance that some of these swimmers will go on to represent Australia in Rio in 2016 and perhaps even London in 2012, and competing at a major event like the Youth Olympic Games will be something they’ll be able to look back on as they develop further in the sport.”
Swimming Australia nominations for the Australian Youth Olympic Team are as follows:
Max Ackerman, 17yrs (QLD)
Justin James, 17yrs (QLD)
Nicholas Schafer, 18yrs (QLD)
Kenneth To, 17yrs (NSW)
Zoe Johnson, 17yrs (SA)
Emma McKeon, 15yrs (NSW)
Emily Selig, 17yrs from (VIC)
Madison Wilson, 15yrs (QLD)
Head Coach: Bernie Mulroy
Coach: Ron McKeon
Swimming Australia
