INDEPENDENT NEWS

Sailor Selected for Athens Olympic Youth Camp

Published: Wed 25 Feb 2004 10:45 AM
Sailor Selected for Athens Olympic Youth Camp
Boardsailor, Hayley Thom, a seventeen year old Aucklander has been named as one of two New Zealanders selected by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) to attend an International Olympic Youth Camp to be held in Athens in August.
Hayley, and Simon Koo of Badminton, will form part of the 400 International participants chosen from around the world in attendance at the camp, which aims to provide an opportunity for world youth to gather together during the Olympic Games to promote international goodwill.
Amongst other activities the participants will attend the Opening Ceremony at the Games, as well as four sporting events of their preference. They will have the opportunity to visit the Olympic Village, participate in the Team Welcome Ceremonies and spend a day at Ancient Olympia.
The New Zealand Olympic Committee asked each of the summer federations, that is sports that participate in the summer Olympic Games, to submit one young athlete of each sex for consideration. Twenty-nine applications were received by the New Zealand Olympic Committee, however, Hayley's credentials were deemed 'exceptional' meeting and surpassing the selection criteria which included age, athletic prowess and academic, civic and artistic acheivements.
Hayley, achieved an "A" Bursary last year, including a scholarship in geography. She is the top female youth boardsailor in New Zealand and has her sights set on forming part of the Yachting Olympic Team, representing New Zealand in the women's Mistral class at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
Simon Wickham, Yachting New Zealand's Chief Executive comments, "this is a wonderful opportunity that the Olympic Committee has extended to Hayley and we are sure that if her dreams of representing New Zealand in 2008 or beyond are attained she will be all the better for having experienced the Olympic Games as part of this youth camp".
Yachting New Zealand is the National body for competitive and recreational sailing in New Zealand. We represent the needs and interests of over 160 member clubs and class associations throughout New Zealand as we work toward our goal of ensuring Yachting remains a lifelong activity of choice for New Zealanders, and one of the leading international sports, on and off the water.

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