X-COUNTRY: While the weather may be heating up, two of Australia’s leading young cross country skiers are not letting the change of seasons interrupt their aspirations for success at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
While they have yet to have been officially selected for the Games which open on February 12, Lilly Boland and Liam Burton are all but assured of their spots to compete at Lillehammer in Norway.
Cross country skiers are known for their supreme levels of physical fitness and endurance. Burton has found the perfect way to keep fit after the Australian snow season runs its course.
“Along with my skiing I am also a triathlete,” the Jindabyne athlete said.
“I’ve got my first triathlon this weekend in Canberra which is a part of the Australian Junior Triathlon Series.
“I will be competing in two of the races before I go overseas which is how I’ll keep fit in the lead-up.”
Ulladulla-based Boland has also been keeping busy as she gets ready for the biggest event of her career to date.
“We’ve had a few training camps in the recent school holidays.
“The first week we did some roller skiing and a lot of running and then I headed to Canberra for another camp where we managed to ski for one day as there was still a bit of snow on Mount Kosciuszko.
“Outside of the camps I’ve been training really hard doing swims, running for an hour to an hour and a half each session and going to the gym to do strength training.”
The duo will depart overseas in early January as they look to acclimatise to the European winter and get back on the snow.
“We will be heading to Austria to train and then on to Switzerland to do some races,” Boland said.
“I’ve never competed overseas before and I’m really looking forward to it.
“The level of skiing is going to be a lot higher which will be good because I need to experience that and I definitely think it will help me push myself harder.”
The next few months will also be the first opportunity for both athletes to represent their country on the international stage and to say they are looking forward to it is an understatement.
“It’s going to be a very proud moment for me and such an honour,” Burton said.
“It will be an awesome opportunity to race for Australia.”
Boland added: “I’m really excited to get the uniform and everything. I’m sure I will have a lot of nerves at the start line but I will just perform as well as I can for Australia.”
The unique nature of a multi-sport event also has the two young guns counting down the days until the Lillehammer 2016 Games kick off.
“I’m really excited to watch all the other sports because I’ve never really experienced that either,” Boland said.
“To see the snowboarders and the ice skaters will be heaps of fun I think.
The Lillehammer Games will be the second Winter Youth Olympic Games, following on from Innsbruck in 2012. The 2016 version will include many of the venues from the Winter Games in 1994 with 1100 young athletes from 70 nations competing in 70 events. It will be a competition and education experience they will never forget.
Australia expects to send around 15 athletes who are set to compete in alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey (skills challenge), luge, short track skating and snowboard.
The first selections will be finalised in the coming weeks.
Matt Bartolo
olympics.com.au
