WAIS Trio Selected for Sharks Olympic Squad

Western Australian water polo athletes Jamie Beadsworth, Tim Cleland and Aaron Younger have today been selected by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The three WAIS scholarship holders will form part of the 13-member Australian Sharks men’s water polo team for London, with the group aiming for its first ever Olympic medal.

27 year-old centre-forward Jamie Beadsworth will compete at a second Olympic Games having represented the Sharks at Beijing in 2008, and will compete in London along with his younger sister Gemma Beadsworth, who was selected for the women’s water polo team last month.

20 year-old Olympic debutant Aaron Younger is the youngest member of the Sharks squad, but will head to London with plenty of confidence having played professionally in Hungary for the past two seasons.

Fremantle Mariners club representative Tim Cleland will also compete at Olympic level for the first time, with the 27 year-old one of Australia’s most consistent performers over the past four years.

Australian Head Coach John Fox believes his team has a strong mix of youth and experience and is confident with the team’s preparation ahead of competition at the London Olympic Park Water Polo Arena.

“This Olympic team will be the best prepared of any team to have had the distinction of representing our country,” he said.

“The final composition of the team contains a balanced mix of experience along with youthfulness.

The three selected athletes have taken WA’s numbers for the London Games to 42 athletes.

A full biography on Jamie Beadsworth, Tim Cleland and Aaron Younger can be found on the AOC’s official website – http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete-search?sport=AF74858E-5056-B04A-536C209A6AE56198