Courtesy: Swimming Australia
SWIMMING Australia today announced the Australian team to compete at this year’s World Aquatics Junior Open Water Swimming Championships in Italy.
Eight emerging junior swimmers will head to Alghero, Sardinia to compete from 6-8 September and join a field of more than 200 athletes aged 14-19 years from 35 countries.
World Junior head coach Mel Tantrum was at last week’s Australian Open Water Championships in Busselton to watch future stars of the sport put their hand up for selection.
The likes of Katie Grimes (USA), Bettina Fabian (HUN) and newly-minted Dolphin Robert Thorpe – who will race next week at the World Aquatics Open Water World Championships in Doha – have all graduated from Junior Worlds’ racing.
It’s a pathway celebrated in the Thorpe household and younger brother Sam (St Peters Western, pictured) will contest the 10km (18-19 years) alongside Xavier Collins (Westside Christchurch) in Italy.
“At 18, Sam and Xavier are at the younger end of this age group but they’ll be competitive against the Italian, French, German and US athletes,” Tantrum said.
“There was only .31 seconds between these two at nationals so they’ll be pushing each other … and I’m sure Sam would like to get one up on Rob (his brother) who finished 8th at last World Juniors in Seychelles in 2022.”
Emily Broun (Rackley) and Sienna Deurloo (Toowoomba Grammar) were selected after respectively finishing first and second in the girls’ 18-19 years 10km at nationals.
“Emily and Sienna had tougher conditions in Busselton, the wind and swell picked up, and now they have eight months to perfect their open water skills,” Tantrum said.
“That said, they’ve both got great backgrounds in pool swimming, and you can expect the water in Italy to be flat and fast.”
Also selected for junior worlds are: Luke Higgs, Lucas Fackerell, Daisy Quinn and Chloe Brodrick who went 1-2 in the boys’ and girls’ 16-17 years 7.5km swim at nationals.
“You are definitely looking at the next wave of athletes who will be in the frame for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics,” Tantrum said.
2024 Open Water Junior World Championships
OPEN WATER ATHLETES
| First | Last | Club | State | Event | |
| Male Athletes | |||||
| Samuel | Thorpe | St Peters Western | QLD | Cameron Gledhill | 10km |
| Xavier | Collins | Westside Christchurch | WA | Jon Harrison | 10km |
| Luke | Higgs | Warringah | NSW | Angelo Basalo | 7.5km |
| Lucas | Fackerell | Breakers WA | WA | Harry Clark | 7.5km |
| Female Athletes | |||||
| Emily | Broun | Rackley Centenary | WA | Tim Dilger | 10km |
| Sienna | Deurloo | Toowoomba Grammar | QLD | Jason Cooper | 10km |
| Daisy | Quinn | Sunshine Coast Grammar | QLD | Luke Stafford | 7.5km |
| Chloe | Brodrick | Ginninderra | ACT | Steve Meredith | 7.5km |
COACHES
| First | Last | Club |
| Cameron | Gledhill |
St Peters Western
|
| Luke | Stafford |
Sunshine Coast Grammar
|
OPEN WATER STAFF
| First | Last | Role |
| Mel | Tantrum |
Team Leader / Head Coach
|
| Vicki | Nagyova | Team Manager |