Member Association News: Plenty of Student-Athletes in AUS Olympic Delegation in Beijing
August 19th, 2008
With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games now in full swing, Australian University Sport (AUS) is proud to announce that over half the Australian Olympic Team has ties to the Australian University Sector. AUS figures show that out of the 433 athletes competing at the Olympics, 199 athletes are currently either studying/deferred or have graduated from an Australian University. This figure does not include Team Officials such as medical staff, coaches, equestrian veterinarians and administrators, most of which would have a Tertiary Education. The number of University Sector athletes has increased on the 2004 Athens Olympic number of 112 out of the 482 Australian athletes competing. “This is a very pleasing pattern and indicates two things: that the athlete welfare message regarding the importance of pursuing achievement in both sport and higher education is getting through and is a great way to prepare for the future, and that more elite athletes and sporting organisations are accessing sports science and medicine facilities on university campuses in Australia,” expressed Don Knapp, AUS Chief Executive Officer. “Our major concern is whether or not this positive pattern will be sustained considering deteriorating sporting facilities and services caused by VSU legislation; these cuts are really starting to bite,” added Knapp. “We know that approximately 1,000 of Australia’s best and brightest pursue overseas scholarship opportunities each year. It is not in Australia’s best interest to adopt higher education policies that can and will accelerate the emigration of talented young student-athletes,” added Knapp. The University Sector also boasts a hand in other National Teams, with international students studying or graduated from Australian Universities and competing for countries such as; Fiji: Carl Probert, University of Sydney student and member of Fiji Swimming Team. Sri Lanka: Danial Lee, Monash University staff and member of the Sri Lanka Swimming Team. Singapore: Liying Toh, Monash University student and member of the Singapore Sailing Team.
AUS’s “keep an eye on”: Emma Snowsil Triathlon Team Member: Individual-Women (competing Monday 18th of August). Tertiary Education: Currently deferred Bachelor of Health Science Griffith University, QLD. Career Highlights Winning Commonwealth Games gold in 2006. Three World Championship gold medals and being awarded the Dawn Fraser Award (Australian Sportsperson of the Year) at the 2006 Athlete of the Year Awards. Grant Hackett Swimming Team Member: 1500m Freestyle Men and 400m Freestyle Men Tertiary Education: Currently studying a Commerce/Law Degree at Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD. Career Highlights Winning gold at the Athens and Sydney Olympic Games. Jane Saville Athletics Team Member: 20km Road Walk Women Tertiary Education: Currently studying Social Science, University of NSW, NSW. Applied Finance, Securities Institute of Australia, NSW. Career Highlights Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. Gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Sean Wroe Athletics Team Member: 400m Individual Men and 4 X 400m Men’s Relay Team Tertiary Education: BA Business and BA Arts (Japanese) Swinburne University, VIC. Career Highlights Gold medal on the 400m at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok.
