FUTURE STARS TAKE FIRST INTERNATIONAL STEP
Sixteen of Britain's top young swimmers have been selected
to compete at the European Youth Olympic Festival taking place
in Lignano, Italy at the start of next month.
The bi-annual event is a multi-sports competition and a breeding
ground for Britain's sporting stars of the future, with Olympic
bronze medallist Dave Davies having attended the event four
years ago.
For many of the junior British squad it is their first international
meet and certainly the first multi-sports event they will
have competed at.
Among the squad, which comprises 13 to 14 year old girls,
and boys aged 15 to 16, are rising stars Lizzie Simmonds (Lincoln
Vulcans), Ellen Gandy (Beckenham), Ceri Unwin (Hatfield) and
Adam Brown (Hatfield).
This year's event is even more special as the swimmers' rest
day (July 6) is also the day the venue of the 2012 Olympics
is to be announced.
Team manager Ian Wilson is looking forward to carrying on
the successful tradition of the GB swimmers at the Festival:
"On paper we've got a very strong team," he admitted.
"But at this event it's difficult to gauge our expectations
and know the standard of competition as many of the swimmers
will not have competed at an international meet before.
"Looking at previous festival results, the girls look
to be in a strong position and swimmers such as Lizzie Simmonds
are certainly on par with winning performances of the past."
Wilson appreciates the benefits to the swimmers of competing
at a multi-sport event at such a young age.
"It's a great experience for the athletes to have the
opportunity to compete within a multi-sports environment and,
with some of them potentially competing for a Commonwealth
Games place later in the year, it's an important stepping
stone for them.
"All are aware of the importance of the meet and know
that a successful performance can spur them onto qualification
for senior internationals in the future and may lead to Olympic
distinction. David Davies is a prime example.
"We have always taken a high caliber athlete to this
event and this year's swimmers can see proof in previous success
stories such as Liam Tancock and Stephanie Proud.
"We aim to be the most professionally prepared team
at the meet and intend for all swimmers to improve on their
performances gained at the Trials as well as swimming personal
best times.
"The boys, in particular, will be fighting for final
places and all swimmers will be hoping to medal."
The team will have a lot to live up to as swimming has been
particularly successful over recent times.
"Along with athletics, we are the largest British squad
at the Festival. At the last couple of competitions, we brought
back the bulk of medals and we would like to continue that
trend this year.
"With the 2012 announcement being made during the competition,
the meet will have even more meaning for the swimmers as it
could mean that some of them get to race at the Olympics on
home turf in just seven years time. It would really make this
event extra special."
Team GB's EYOF Chef de Mission, Mark England, who was Team
GB's Deputy Chef de Mission in Athens last year, said:
"This event takes on added significance as the London
2012 delegation will be presenting to the IOC in Singapore,
while 56 young British athletes in seven sports are representing
their country at an Olympic event for the first time.
"This group of talented young sportsmen and women will
be looking to put down a marker on the international stage
and all of them will be dreaming about representing Team GB
at a London Olympic Games in 2012.
"I took David Davies to the EYOF in 2001 and then watched
him win Bronze at the Athens Olympic Games last year. This
shows what an important stepping stone to the Olympic Games
the EYOF has become."
More than 3,000 young athletes from 48 European countries
are taking part in the Festival.
Great Britain will be represented by athletes ranging in
age from 14 to 17 in seven of the eleven sports taking place
at the EYOF: athletics; canoeing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,
swimming and tennis.
The 16-strong British Swimming team to attend the
European Youth Olympic Festival is as follows:
Lizzie Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans)
Ellen Gandy (Beckenham)
Ceri Unwin (Hatfield)
Helena Thornton (Nova Centurion)
Lauren Collins (City of Birmingham)
Adam Brown (Hatfield)
Jonathan Cook (Nova Centurion)
Michael Newell (Aquabears)
Marco Loughran (Guildford City)
Steven Beckerleg (Plymouth Leander)
Stuart Houston (Ren 96)
Chris Fox (Wolverhampton)
Robert Matthews- Stroud (Wycombe District)
Chloe Hart (Beckenham)
Max Partridge (City of Sheffield)
Grant Turner (Tigersharks)
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