MODERN PENTATHLON: Two of the most versatile athletes on the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team are ready to tackle whatever the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) has to offer.
The modified YOG Modern Pentathlon event begins Friday with a fencing ranking round. This is followed by a jam-packed day of swimming, fencing (ladder system) and the combined run-shoot event on Saturday for girls and on Sunday for boys.
On the eve of competition, Marina Carrier and Max Esposito spoke to AUSOlympicTeam TV, explaining the intricacies of training for their multifaceted sport.
“It’s very full-on. There’s not much down time,” Year 12 SCEGGS student, Carrier said.
“I’ve found than being here in Nanjing we’ve sort of been going from one thing to the next. It’s incredibly full on. We’re either on a bus or eating or training or trying to catch some sleep.”
Athletes will compete at three different venues during competition- the International Expo Centre (fencing ranking round), Natatorium (swimming), and the Olympic Sport Centre Modern Pentathlon venue (fencing ladder event and combined event).
“The facilities are really good. The swimming venue is really nice and when I was training the other day I felt fast in the water so that’s a positive sign,” Esposito said.
As for the combined run/shoot course, the Aussies have counted 32 turns on the run within the space of 15 minutes. Add to that bursts at the shooting range for a true YOG challenge.
“The shooting is difficult because we have the shooting bays, and then behind the shooting bays is the crowd so that will be distracting,” Esposito explained.
Esposito will add another streak to his family’s illustrious pedigree tomorrow, following in the footsteps of his father, Daniel, who competed at the 1984 Olympics; sister, Chloe who competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games and sister Emily, who competed at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
“It gives you a lot of motivation,” he says of his successful family.
“It’s good because they give you key points that help you to progress. I watched Chloe at the Olympic Games and I saw the atmosphere and thought: wow I want to go to an international competition and experience what my sister, Chloe experienced one day.”
Eager for their first day of competition on Friday, Carrier explained the complexities of day one of the contest.
“The fencing ranking round is actually a new addition to the sport. It’s basically a round-robin and everyone fences one-hit bouts and then that gives them a rank in which they go into the next day for the individual.
“Next is a ladder round so the last person fences the second-last- and whoever looses gets knocked out. The winner progresses and fences more people so I think it makes the competition a bit closer, it gives more points, and it makes it a bit more interesting to watch.”
Follow their progress with @AUSOlympicTeam on social media and via Olympics.com.au
Taya Conomos
olympics.com.au
@AUSOlympicTeam