From games to olympics

By Marc McGowan
THE Pacific School Games provided many of Australia’s finest junior athletes with their first taste of international competition.
And the experience is set to reward 16-year-old Berwick runner Jordan Nelson further next month.
The former Casey little athlete’s second-placed effort in the 16-year-old boys’ 2km steeplechase at this month’s Pacific School Games has booked him a spot at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney.
Australian selectors picked him for the international showcase last Friday, alongside 87 other talented athletes across the country.
More than 1500 athletes from 27 countries will compete across 17 sports from 14 to 18 January.
“I’m pretty happy. I came into the event (the 2km steeplechase) thinking I was a 50-50 chance to get in,” Nelson said.
Nelson started Little Athletics when he was seven, but has enjoyed stunning success over the past three years.
The Year 10 St Francis Xavier College student has regularly featured in state teams during that period in cross-country and on the track, but this is the first time he will represent Australia.
Nelson trains and competes at Knox Athletics Club under respected mentor Richard Huggins, who also coaches Harkaway-based Olympic runner Jeff Riseley.
“It’s pretty tough training. I train six days a week and, in a normal week, I’ll do 50 or so kilometres,” Nelson said. “It’s a lot different to Little Athletics. It’s better competition and the older athletes I compete against are fairly high up.”
His brother, Rhys, 10, and sister Courtney, 5, still compete at Edwin Flack Reserve and his father, Chris, is Casey’s senior athletics coaching co-ordinator.
But Nelson is not resting on his laurels despite rating his selection in next month’s event as his career highlight.
He wants to slash more than 14 seconds off his time to qualify for the World Youth Championships in Italy in July.
Nelson knows it is a long shot, but is doing everything in his power to chase his dream of one day running at an Olympic Games.
“That would be pretty astounding (if I was able to qualify for the World Youth Championships),” he said. “It’ll be tough, but I’ll give it a crack. My biggest dream would be to make an Olympics – 2012 would be pretty tough, but I think in 2016 I’d be a good chance.”
Nelson is also hoping to turn the tables on Knox training partner Jordan Williamsz, who finished first in the 2km steeplechase at the Pacific School Games.
“It helps a bit knowing you’ve got someone up there with you,” Nelson said. “You just have to put in that little bit more just to get there. We have a friendly rivalry.”