Evans Officially Named on Commonwealth Games Team
WAIS athlete Blair Evans has enjoyed the month of her young life, after a triple medal effort at the recent FINA Pan Pacific Championships in California was followed by her official naming on the Australian Commonwealth Games team for October’s showpiece in New Delhi, India.
Evans backed up her breakthrough swim in the 200m freestyle (bronze), with a second bronze in the 400m freestyle, rounding out a successful meet with silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay.
it was the USA’s superior depth that shone through on the anchor leg, as 200m champion Alison Schmitt guided her team to gold in 7:51.21. The Australian team of Evans, Kylie Palmer, Katie Goldman and Meagen Nay was not far behind, finishing a close second in 7:52.64, while Canada was third in 7:54.32.
Following the Pan Pacific Championships, the ACGA announced the final list of swimmers for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi (October 3-14) with 31 members of 52-strong team set to make their Commonwealth Games debut for Australia.
Seven-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Leisel Jones will join comeback sensation Geoff Huegill, and Ashley Callus who will be heading to his fourth Games, while Queensland teenagers Yolane Kukla and Jayden Hadler will be the youngest on the team.
Emily Seebohm, a dual silver and gold medallist at the Pan Pacific Championships in California last week will compete at her first Commonwealth Games, while Paralympian Matthew Cowdrey will be looking to add to his two gold medals from Melbourne 2006.
The following swimmers have been added to the squad which was originally selected in March, based on their performances at the Pan Pacific Championships – Melissa Gorman, Grace Loh, James Magnussen, Kenrick Monk, Mitchell Patterson, Kyle Richardson and Tessa Wallace.
Swimming Australia Head Coach Leigh Nugent says everything this year has been geared towards the Commonwealth Games and performing well in India.
“Australia has a fantastic tradition at the Commonwealth Games and with the swim team getting the chance to compete at the start of the Games, we know we have a responsibility to start well,” said Nugent.
“This is a strong team and a team that is looking forward to competing well in Delhi,” said Nugent.
With just over five weeks to go until the opening ceremony, Nugent says the team will continue preparations in their home training centres before coming into camp in Kuala Lumpur and then arriving into Delhi on September 30.
“The Pan Pacs in California last week were a great hit out for the majority of the team, and the athletes and coaches now know exactly what they need to work on and fine tune, to be at their best come October 4 when we start the meet in Delhi.”
ACGA CEO, Perry Crosswhite said, “We are very pleased with the swimmers nominated for the Team. The group is a good mix of experience and youth and we expect that they will again be our most successful sport at the Games.”
The Commonwealth Games swimming squad will hold a training camp in Kuala Lumpur from September 25 to September 30 before flying in to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games.
Fast Facts:
The average age of the 2010 Australian CG swimming squad will be 21.
Yolane Kukla will turn 15 five days before the Games and will be the youngest female, while 16-year-old Jayden Hadler will be the youngest male on the team.
Geoff Huegill will be the oldest male on the team, while the oldest female will be 26-year-old Sarah Katsoulis.
The CG swimming squad includes seven Parasport swimmers who will contest six Parasport swimming events on the Commonwealth Games swimming program
The swimming component of the Commonwealth Games will consist of a six-day meet starting on Monday 4 October and finishing on Sunday 9 October.
Heats at the Commonwealth Games will start at 0900 with finals from 1600
The 2006 Australian Swim Team at the Commonwealth Games won a total of 53 medals (19 Gold, 18 Silver and 16 Bronze).
– Swimming Australia