The 2011 members of the Queensland Academy of Sport Sailing Team, were announced today. Based on results and currant national and international standings the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) team is the elite of the elite, the top sailors in Queensland and Australia.
In the world class standings Mathew Belcher, Brendan Casey and Dan Fitzgibbon all Australian Sailing Team (AST) members top the QAS squad. Belcher currant 470 world number one is ranked as the top athlete, sailing with Beijing Olympic gold medalist Malcolm Page, Belcher and Page are heading for London with high hopes for gold. Daniel Fitzgibbon, Queensland’s Paralympic champion took silver at the Beijing games and will have another shot for gold in 2012.
Currant Australian Sailing Squad member Ryan Palk has had a successful summer racing nationally and internationally and find himself selected in the top five for the QAS team. Currently racing overseas Palk will continue his battle for AST and Olympic selection this year.
The Queensland Academy of Sport team has this year been split into two categories, ‘World Class’ and ‘Development’. A mix of youth and experience the development category contains athletes such as youth champion and Laser Full rig sailor Klade Haushildt, 420 men’s and women’s team Alexander Gough and Angus Galloway, Eloise Brake and Jamie Ryan. Gough and Galloway plan to move into the 470 class after they compete for the second time at the ISAF Youth Worlds in Croatia.
The rest of the development team is made up of youth and potential athletes based on results from 2010. 29er Australian open and youth champions Josh Franklin and Lewis Brake sit with Sailboard champion Johanna Sterling in the bridging program, and laser sailors Mitchell Kennedy sister Madison Kennedy and Ella Evans are listed as potentials for further development.
As the year goes on, the QAS team will change as results dictate the position of each athlete. With specialist coaching from Adrian Finglas, Craig Colduck (Strength and conditioning), Tracey Veivers (Sports Psychologist) and Peta Carige (Nutritionsist), the Queensland Academy of Sport Sailing Team are looking forward to another successful year of racing in Australia and around the world.
Andrew Gough