MITCH PITCHED INTO LEADERSHIP POSITION
NORTHCLIFFE’S emerging ironman star Mitch Coombes has been named co-captain of the Australian youth lifesaving team in Adelaide.
Coombes will be joined in the captaincy role by Manly’s Nutri-Grain ironwoman Naomi Scott in what is a powerhouse next generation of surf sports stars who will line up in the green and gold in Glenelg, starting today.
Team coach Brett Dowker, who is no stranger to success with both the Australian open and youth teams, was glowing in his assessment of his group.
“We have already seen some great leadership shown this week from this team and in particular from both Mitch and Naomi,” he said.
“Both have certainly shone in the surf as the future of the Nutri-Grain series but they have also stood up with their qualities outside the competition as well.”
Coombes will be joined by two-time Australian taplin telay gold medallist in Ky Kinsela from Currumbin in the ironman while Scott will be joined by Tiarnee Massie from Maroochydore in the ironwoman.
Dowker said he was excited to see how his team fared and they had already had a stroke of luck in the draw for the new mixed relays in the pool and the surf with the women drawing the swim and board and the men the ski and run.
It means that Alexandra Headland swim star Lani Pallister, who shone in the Australian team with three gold medals (400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle) at this year’s Junior Pan Pacs in Hawaii will feature in the swim in the surf and she will also face a tough task of towing a manikin 50m without fins in the pool relay.