The Australian Lifesaving Team for the Rescue 2008 World Life Saving Championships has been announced.
The Australian Lifesaving Team for the Rescue 2008 World Life Saving Championships has been announced.
Some of the stars making their Australian Team debut for the World Lifesaving Championships is recently crowned Australian Ironman and Ironwoman, Shannon Eckstein and Alicia Marriott, along with NSW Ironwoman Naomi Flood, Royal Lifesaver of the Year Mitch Parkes and Australian Open Surf Champion Chris Allum.
World Ironwoman Champion Kristy Munroe will captain the team, with the long time Australian Team member looking to retire from the sport on top by taking her third consecutive World Ironwoman title.
"I received the phone call last night to say I made the team – it’s always a big relief when they finally name the team because it is something you train for two years to make.
The Australian Team is always a tough team to be selected in because you need to be versatile especially if you’re a water competitor because you need to be able to cover more than 20 events.
I think we have a really good team with strengths in both the pool rescue and the surf events. It’s good to see some new faces in the team and especially Alicia Marriott, who has had such a great season.
Being named captain is real honour – I think it’s a great acknowledgement of my career.
Most people have had a couple of weeks off after the nationals so it will be back to training now.
Being named in the Australian Team is great motivation to get back into training during the winter months and with less than three months to the Worlds (Lifesaving Championships) everyone will be working hard," she said.
A new look Australian Lifesaving Team has today been announced to travel to Germany in July to defend Australia’s number one world ranking at Rescue 2008 – the World Lifesaving Championships.
Competitors at the championships have their skills tested in events such as the Simulated Emergency Rescue (SERC), 200m Super Lifesaver, Ironman & Ironwoman and Surf Race.
Australian Team Coach Brett Dowker said the World Lifesaving Championships will test competitors both in the pool and in the surf.
"Most of the European countries are in the peak of their season and although Australia and New Zealand are in their off-season, both countries are expected to do very well.
"Obviously Australia hopes to defend their number one world ranking however we’re expecting our toughest competition to come from our friends over the Tasman, New Zealand, who are proving very strong in both the pool rescue and surf events," said Dowker.
Australian Team Manager Jeannie Baxter-Reid said that recent results suggested that competition in the pool events would be intense, with a mounting challenge coming from the European teams.
"The very close results in the recent German Cup and Asia Pacific Championships signal the most intense international lifesaving competition seen for years," Baxter-Reid added.
Australia will be competing against teams from more than 30 other nations, and fending off the mounting challenge from hot favourites New Zealand, and the top performers from Europe and South Africa.
Rescue 2008 – the World Lifesaving Championships – will be held in Berlin and Warnemünde from 20 July to 2 August.
The Australian Lifesaving Team for Rescue 2008 is:
- Kristy Munroe (Captain)
- Chris Allum (Cronulla SLSC)
- Andrew Bowden (The Hills LSC RLSSA)
- Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC)
- Naomi Flood (Manly SLSC)
- Cara Langendam (Bulli SLSC)
- Downie Langthorne (Bulli SLSC)
- Alicia Marriott (City of Perth SLSC)
- Thomas Noland (North Cottosloe SLSC)
- Mitch Parkes (Port Hacking Lifeguards RLSSA)
- Jenny Parry (QLD Sharks LSC RLSSA / North Burleigh SLC)
- Sarah Windsor (Port Hacking Lifeguards RLSSA )
Source: http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/