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Friday, 26 June 2015

Ten UWA student athletes have today been farewelled and wished the best of luck as they depart for Gwangju, Korea, to represent Australia in the 2015 Summer Universiade.

The program of the 2015 Summer Universiade, also known as the World University Games, includes 21 sports (13 compulsory and 8 optional) which will be contested over a two-week period from 3-14 July, with organisers expecting up to 20 000 competitors and officials to attend the event. Compulsory sports include: artistic gymnastics, athletics, basketball, diving, fencing, football, judo, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and water polo. Optional sports include: archery, badminton, baseball, golf, handball, rowing, shooting sport and taekwondo.

Elliott Clutterbuck, selected to represent in men’s and mixed doubles has recently graduated from UWA with a Bachelor of Laws (Distinction) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) majoring in Chinese and International Relations, and is currently working full time for law firm Allens Linklaters. For Elliott, badminton has opened a lot of doors after first picking up a racquet at the age of nine, inspired by his mother who played at a competitive level in England. He was award the Prime Minister’s Australia Asia award in 2013 and travelled to China to study and play for Tsinghua University in Beijing. “I am hoping the Australian Uniroos team will be fantastic ambassadors for Australia in South Korea when interacting with both competitors and local South Koreans,” said Elliott about his goals for the Universiade. “I hope we are known as the friendliest team in the competitions, and South Koreans want to visit Australia as a result of meeting us.”

Kai Png has been selected to represent in judo in the under 60kg category and is currently ranked and recently competed in the ACT International Open where he won silver in his senior weight division and gold in the junior competition. He has stepped up his training in the lead up to the Summer Universiade with training up to twice a day, six days a week and is excited to compete with the goal to win and develop further as a player and person. Kai is studying Physiology at UWA

Brother and sister team of Zak and Tori Leonhard will be competing in the discipline of sabre. Tori is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Japanese and Fine Arts and got into fencing after following her bother to training at the age of 8. For her older brother Zak, the Universiade in Korea is his second World University Games, having represented in 2013 in Kazan, Russia. Recently Zak placed 1st in the Australian Circuit and is currently competing in the Asian Championships in Singapore, from where he will then fly directly to Korea to meet with the team. Both Zak and Tori have been training four times a week with the UWA Fencing Club.

UWA will have three water polo players represented in Korea, Lillian Hedges, Lachlan Pethick and Andrew Ford. Lillian is studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Human Biology and Microbiology and was selected due to her contribution to Australia’s silver medal effort against the USA in the World Leagues Tournament back in May. When asked what she is looking forward to most by going to Korea, she said “seeing and learning some K-Pop!” For Lachlan, who is studying a Bachelor of Commerce, Gwangju will be his first Universiade. He has enjoyed the training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) back in May and was a part of the WA team who won gold at the National Under 20s National Championships. Fellow Under 20’s Western Australian team member, Andrew is the veteran of the team with Korea being his second Summer Universiade. Andrew is studying a Bachelor of Engineering Science and Economics, and plays water polo as the centre back/driver. Andrew’s goal for the team is to place in the top 4, but bringing home the gold would be the ultimate success.

Swimmers Holly Barratt and Nicholas Brown will be making waves in the pool! Holly continues to improve on her personal bests reached in 2013 in Kazan, Russia, and will compete in the 50m butterfly, 50m and 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle. Since representing in Kazan, Holly has also been selected for the Australia A swimming team all while studying a Bachelor of Science. As a Bachelor of Commerce student, Nicholas has been juggling swimming and studies, training eight times a week in the pool and two sessions in the gym every week. Nicholas is a butterfly specialist and will be competing in the 50m, 100m and 200m distances and recently placed 4th in the 200m Butterfly at the 2015 Australian Swimming Championships. “I’m looking forward to experiencing the Korean culture as well as representing my country. I hope to be able to swim faster than I’ve gone before, and anything else will just be a bonus.”

In the Uniroos volleyball team, UWA student Jack Halley was a late call up due to injury in the position of libero (defensive specialist). Jack is studying a Bachelor of Science, and is currently in training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra before departing for Korea.

We would like to wish all UWA student athletes selected to represent Australia and the University of Western Australia in the Summer Universiade the best of luck, and we hope you achieve your goals and personal bests.

Media references

Nicole West (Marketing and Communications Officer, UWA Sport and Recreation Association) +61 6488 4309

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