Coming Attractions
Each month we introduce young Australians with talent to burn and time on their side. Keep an eye on this lot.
Surfing
Ben Dunn
With his father, Martin, considered one of Australia’s most significant surfing coaches, 16-year old Ben Dunn’s surfing success was almost preordained. The NSW central coast teen has ripped up the junior ranks and is widely considered a hot prospect. Dunn dominated this year’s New South Wales Championships with his potent blend of technical skill and natural flair. Other results to date have been similarly impressive; ranked 14th among a field of under 20s in the Australian junior series. But it’s Dunn’s competitive intelligence that really sets him apart – and has sponsors tripping over themselves to jump on board. Able to excel in a range of surfing conditions, Dunn has a distinct edge over less-rounded competitors. And his focus is formidable. Though he’s shy out of the water, Dunn boasts a competitive cool that belies his age. Those “future World Championship Tour” whispers are becoming louder.
Triathlon
Josie Loane
At around 175cms tall and with the broad build of a natural swimmer, up and coming triathlete Josie Loane exudes athleticism. Set to step up in to the open ranks, Loane, 22, has already proved her mettle with a bronze medal winning performance in the 1999 Junior World Championships in Montreal, a fourth place in the 2000 Perth Junior World Championships and a first in the 2000 Australian Junior Champs. In 2002 Loane has claimed wins in the European Swiss Series, then stepped up a division to the Junior Women (under-23) at the World Championships in Mexico, where she finished a credible ninth. Always strong on the bike and in the water, it’s been her recent improvements on the running leg under AIS coaching that’s lifted her another gear. When it all comes together, this athletic Queensland stunner could go a long way in the tough world of triathlon.
Boxing
Jarrod Fletcher
When 19-year old Jarrod Fletcher out-boxed Sydney Olympic Games competitor Henry Collins to take out the Australian titles and qualify for the Manchester Commonwealth Games, it looked like a new boxing star was born. Though he lost out in his second Games fight, the welterweight from Harvey Bay hasn’t been discouraged. Identified as a prime medal hope for Athens in 2004, Fletcher has recently undergone surgery to remove a blockage in his nose that has hindered him during fighting and training. With nothing now holding him back, the AIS athlete is training full-force.
Fletcher’s dedication and family pedigree are impressive. One of three boxing brothers, the youngster has a single-minded focus and intelligent outlook. You’ll always find him putting in the hard yards not only in the ring but also on the track and in the weights room. The still-growing boxer now weighs 67kg, with the potential to rise up to 75kg as he reaches his physical peak. Under national coach Bodo Andreas, our amateur boxers are starting to live up to the potential they’ve always had. We’ll send our best-prepared team ever to the Olympics in Athens in 2004, where the world’s light-middleweights should be looking over their shoulders – Fletcher is on the charge.
Cycling
Mark French
Melbourne’s Mark French was just 16 when he first proved his formidable skill in the world of track sprint cycling. After taking out the 2001 Junior World Championships, French backed it up by taking gold once again at the same event earlier this year. And that’s not to mention his trifecta of wins in the Australian Junior Championships held in April, where the talented youngster took home the 200 metre sprint, the kierin and one kilometer individual crowns. Now a fast-maturing 18-year old and brandishing 82kg of raw cycling power, the sprint whiz is looking to climb further up the world cycling tree with a scholarship to the prestigious UCI training center in Switzerland. Next step? While Athens 2004 isn’t out of the question, a medal at the 2008 Olympic Games is his aim. By that stage, he’ll be at his absolute physical peak. Keep an eye out, for whatever French does it’s sure to be some ride.
Rowing
Mitchell Punch
Born and bred on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra’s Mitchell Punch has taken to rowing like the proverbial duck to water. In 1999, after only two years rowing, Punch won two golds, a silver and a bronze at the National Rowing Championships – at 17! Mitchell is still unbeaten in Australia at the single scull. Now 20 years of age, this single sculler has lit up the sporting scene with his gutsy performances and incredible results. This year he placed second in the men’s heavyweight single sculls at the under-23 World Championships, and a promising 14th at the senior World’s. It is the power in Punch’s freak physiology that has so far pushed his slightly-short sculling frame on to early international success. Technically proficient and incredibly determined, he moves the boat with a powerful ease lacking in many of his contemporaries. Still young in a sport that sees men rowing successfully well in to their 30s, Punch has a long and prosperous sporting future ahead of him. Olympic competition, be it 2004 or 2008, is virtually guaranteed.