Commonwealth call-up for sprinting star

By Tanya Paolucci
Updated November 7 2012 - 4:49am, first published May 23 2011 - 10:59am

STAR Bendigo athlete Sophie Taylor will don the green and gold for the first time when she represents Australia at the Youth Commonwealth Games.Taylor was selected by Athletics Australia as one of 27 young athletes to compete at the Games, which will be held on the Isle of Man from September 7 to 13 this year.The 15-year-old’s selection comes on the back of an outstanding season on the track, including being crowned the under-18 100-metre champion at the Australian Junior Track and Field Championships in Sydney earlier this year.In March, Taylor was the joint monthly winner of the Bendigo Advertiser-WIN Television Sports Star of the Year award.The Catholic College student, who will have her first taste of international competition when she travels to Poland next month for the Schools Championship, said she was thrilled with her selection.“I’m really excited about it. I’ve never represented Australia before so that’s going to be the best part,” she said.“I’m pretty nervous because I really want to do well over there and there will be tough competition.”Taylor, who recently took part in in an Athletics Australia under-17 training camp with fellow CCB athlete Maddie Lawson, said she has stepped up her training ahead of her international competitions.“The training camp was really good in Canberra,” she said.“It was the hardest training I’ve ever done and we trained pretty much all day every day.”Although Taylor has been selected to run the 200 metres, the athlete said she would love the opportunity to compete in her pet event of 100 metres on the Isle of Man.“I’m running the 200m but I do want to run the 100m because I really enjoy the 100m,” she said.“It’s less tiring to run, but I also think I’m better at the 100m.”Taylor’s coach Terry Higgs said Taylor would face some quality competition at the international event.“When you look at the best sprinters in the world right now, they are coming out of Jamaica, the West Indies and England, who will all be at the Youth Commonwealth Games,” he said.Kyneton junior athlete Rochelle Kennedy was also selected in the Australian Youth Commonwealth Games team and will contest the 800 metres.

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