Rising swim star Sienna Toohey headlines a 40-strong team selected for the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from 21 to 24 August 2024.
The championships are a major benchmark meet for the Junior Dolphins ahead of the World Junior Championships next year and act as a litmus test against the best international juniors including swimmers from the United States, Japan and Canada.
Now held every two years, the last event took place in Honolulu in 2022 and since its inception in 2005, the event has only been hosted by Hawaii, Guam and Fiji with the Championships being held in Australia for the first time.
Team lead Gary Barclay said: “Competing nations will send full-strength teams, so this meet is a good measure on how our pathways and our athletes are heading ahead of LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.”
“It also is a chance to track and measure the strokes we have targeted – like breaststroke with Sienna Toohey, Olympia Pope, Hayley Mackinder and Julia Remington all making the team. They have all swum world-class times for their age group recently and this meet gives them a chance to race internationally, under age-group pressure and in front of a home crowd.”
While Toohey and Milla Jansen will lead the women’s team, Marcus Da Silva and Josh Conias lead the men’s team.
Of the 40 athletes selected, 32 swimmers will compete in their first major benchmark meet and a record nine swimmers have been selected from Western Australia.
New head coach of Churchie in Queensland Richard Sleight made an immediate impact over the recent Australia Age and Open Championships on the Gold Coast, from which this team was selected with three swimmers selected.
Newly formed Caulfied Aquatics in Victoria, coached by Olympian Kenrick Monk, also had three swimmers selected.
CEO of Swimming Australia Rob Woodhouse said: “We’re delighted to be hosting this event. The athletes coming through the junior ranks now are incredibly fortunate that Australia is hosting Olympic Games within the next eight years.”
“Racing opportunities like this are critical for our young developing athletes.”
The Junior Dolphins Team selected for 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships are:
FEMALE ATHLETES
Zoe Ammundsen | Churchie | QLD | Richard Sleight |
Mikayla Bird | Bond | QLD | Chris Mooney |
Hannah Casey | Bond | QLD | Chris Mooney |
Jessica Cole | Wests Illawarra | NSW | Pat Stellino |
Sylvia Czajko | UWA West Coast | WA | Rob Palfrey |
Giselle Davey | Caulfield | VIC | Kenrick Monk |
Elloise Doolan | Somerville House | QLD | Sarah Caithness |
Ava Gaske | Chandler | QLD | Tyoshi Kimura |
Milla Jansen | Bond | QLD | Chris Mooney |
Hayley MacKinder | Griffith | QLD | Tom Fraser-Holmes |
Lillie McPherson | Manly | NSW | Justin Rothwell |
Inez Miller | Fenix | WA | Ben Higson |
Olympia Pope | Miami | QLD | Paul Crosswell |
Julia Remington | All Saints | QLD | Ken Sabotic |
Isabel Sheldrick | Fenix | WA | Deb Jones |
Amelie Smith | Rocky City | QLD | Shane Kingston |
Poppy Stephen | Nudgee | QLD | Shaun Crow |
Sienna Toohey | Albury | NSW | Wayne Gould |
Amelia Weber | St Peters Western | QLD | Cam Gledhill |
Jessica Wilson | Nunawading | VIC | Nick Veliades |
MALE ATHLETES
Sean Alcorn | St Hildas WA | WA | Zoe Baker |
Jackson Anderson | Highlanders WA | WA | Ryan Steenkamp |
Thomas Booth | Southside Aquatics | QLD | Lachlan Staples |
Xavier Collins | Westside Christ Church | WA | Jon Harrison |
Josh Conias | Somerville House | QLD | Tim Lane |
Tx Cross | Highlanders WA | WA | Ryan Steenkamp |
Marcus Da Silva | Cranbrook | NSW | Bec Wheatley |
Lucas Fackerell | Breakers | WA | Harry Clarke |
Joel Fleming | Forster | NSW | Peter Sanders |
Bradan Fyneman | UWA West Coast | WA | Rob Palfrey |
Sam Higgs | Warringah | NSW | Angelo Basalo |
Josh Kerr | Manly | NSW | Justin Rothwell |
Ike Martinez | Rackley | QLD | Damien Jones |
Blair McKitrick | Nudgee | QLD | Shaun Crow |
Joshua Moore | USC Spartans | QLD | Michael Sage |
Jack Morrow | St Andrews | QLD | Ash Delaney |
Jacob Nimmo | Caulfield | VIC | Kenrick Monk |
Thomas Pattinson | Churchie | QLD | Richard Sleight |
William Shepherd-Smith | Churchie | QLD | Richard Sleight |
Nicholas Stoupas | Caulfield | VIC | Kenrick Monk |
COACHES
Simon Cusack | Head Coach | QLD |
Sarah Cathiness | Somerville House | QLD |
Shaun Crow | Nudgee | QLD |
Cam Gledhill | St Peters Western | QLD |
Wayne Gould | Albury | NSW |
Kenrick Monk | Caulfield | VIC |
Rob Palfrey | UWA West Coast | WA |
Justin Rothwell | Manly | NSW |
Richard Sleight | Churchie | QLD |
Ryan Steenkamp | Highlanders WA | WA |
Bec Wheatley | Cranbrook | NSW |