Athletics

The world’s best young track and field athletes will be striving to be faster, higher and stronger at Bishan Stadium in Singapore. The Australian team have high hopes of being amongst the medals at the YOG.

Qualification

There will be 340 boys and 340 girls competing in athletics at the Games with a limit of one athlete per country per event.

Each athlete can compete in one individual event and the medley relay.

Qualification occurred through the International Federation standards and universality places. Singapore as the host nation is given a total of 10 places.

Australian athlete nomination was based on performances at the Oceania Continental Youth Championships in Sydney, 11-14 March 2010.

Australia is sending five boys and five girls to Singapore 2010.

Competition Format

For the 34 individual events there will be 16 competitors in each event. The five continental teams, comprised of athletes who have already been selected in individual events, shall compete in relay events.

For the 100m, 200m, 400m, 1000m, 3000m, 100m/110m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, 2000m Steeplechase – there will be two rounds – round 1 and finals.

All field events will have two rounds – qualification and finals.

Race walks and the medley relay will be straight finals.

For the medley relay the five continental teams are formed of athletes who have already been selected in individual events. The order is as follows:

1st leg: 100m;
2nd leg: 200m;
3rd leg: 300m;
4th leg: 400m.

The first two legs are run in lanes and for the third leg runners must remain within the lanes until the break line at the beginning after the finish line.

Venue - Bishan Stadium

Bishan Stadium is around five kilometres north of the city centre and part of the Bishan Sports & Recreation Centre. From 2004 to 2006, the Stadium was used for the United Football Club home matches in the Asian Football Confederation Cup tournament. In September 2006, Bishan Stadium was one of two venues for the Asian Football
Confederation U-17 Championships and the Socceroos used the Stadium as its training base for two weeks in June 2007 before it competing in the Asian Cup.

The gymnastics events for Singapore 2010 will be held in the venue next door to the athletics stadium.

Australia and Olympic Athletics

Australia has a rich Olympic history in athletics dating back to Edwin Flack’s two gold medals at the first Games in Athens 1896. Since then another 56 Olympic medals have been won both on the track, in the field and road events. Australian sporting legends such as Herb Elliott, Marjorie Jackson, Shirley Strickland, Betty Cuthbert, Raelene Boyle, Glynis Nunn, Debbie Flintoff-King, Cathy Freeman and more recently Steve Hooker and Sally McLellan have excelled in athletics at the Olympics.