Commonwealth Youth Games – Preview and Guide

5 August 2023

Commonwealth Youth Games – Preview and Guide

In the early hours of Tuesday morning the track and field competition at the seventh Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinadad and Tobago gets under way.

Ten NSW athletes are members of the 25 member Australian team.

The enormously talented NSW contingent are led by World U20 Championship representative Delta Amidzovski and the team is a mix of experience and emerging talent.

At these Games, Amidzovski will add the long jump to her speciality, the 100m hurdles, which she competed in at the World Juniors in Cali last year. She is feeling confident the Cali experience will assist her with her second appearance in the green and gold.

“I feel that because I have had the experience of World Juniors last year, this one will be a lot easier to deal with the pressure and travel. This was one of my main goals for this year, so I’m happy that it has worked out.”

Temora’s Grace Krause was in amazing form last April at the trails for this team. She won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, triple jump and relay. Other than her brilliant 200m time of 23.67, her silver medal winning long jump of 6.16m was superb.

North Coast’s Daniel Williams, who only emerged a couple of years ago, broke Australian middle-distance records last summer. At the CYG he will concentrate on the 1500m.

Commonwealth Youth History

The first CYG were held in Edinburgh in 2000 and Australia hosted the second edition in Bendigo in December 2004. That team fostered many future great Aussies, including Sally Pearson, Dani Stevens, Madeline Heiner, Chris Noffke, Dave McNeill and Tristan Thomas.

In later editions, some future stars to compete were Linden Hall, Brianna Beahan, Naa Anang, Jacinta Beecher, Nana Adoma Owusu-Afriyie, Jake Doran, Alexander Kolesnikoff, Jackson Sharp, Ella Connolly, Riley Day, Mia Gross, Bendere Oboya, Keely Small and Carley Thomas.

The competition in athletics has generally been for U18 athletes. Para athletes were added to the 2023 edition.

How to Watch

The CYG will be live streamed on YouTube. Catchup and watch the opening ceremony here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of5rhK8zopA

NSW members of the Australian athletics team – 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.

WOMEN

200m - Grace Krause

800m – Fleur Cooper

1500m – Cooper

100m Hurdles – Delta Amidzovski, Jasynta Lampret

High Jump – Izzi Louison-Roe

Long Jump - Amidzovski, Krause

Discus Throw – Chelsy Wayne

MEN

100m – Jackson Love (T38)

1500m - Daniel Williams

400m Hurdles – Matthew Hunt

Long Jump – Love (T38)

Discus Throw – George Wells

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Australian Team (courtesy of CGA)