Track and Field Home
Nathan Deakes
2007 World Champion
50km Walk
Photo: National Sport Information Centre
Robert Crowther
2007 World University Games Champion
Long Jump
Photo: NSIC
AIS Athletics
Track and field has been described as 'sport stripped to its barest essentials' - the human activity that centres around running or walking the fastest, jumping the highest or longest, and throwing the farthest. Yet as simple as this description seems, modern track and field competitors at the AIS in Canberra also enjoy the advantages that the most complex technological advances in sports science and sports medicine can provide. They have better coaching, better clothing, better shoes, better tracks and better equipment. Many of those advantages have been provided through the work of the world-class staff at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). AIS Coaching and Sports Science and Medicine staff work full time supporting :
Athletes are supported by world-class coaching and sports science/sports medicine services, with education and career guidance playing an intrinsic role in the AIS Track and Field program's commitment to the holistic development of all athletes preparing athletes for their achievements in the sport and a career following their move from success on the Olympic stage. All AIS Track and Field Scholarship holders are expected to study or work during their time in Canberra.
The AIS Track and Field program integrates elite and emerging track and field athletes with a disability with their able-bodied counterparts. The goal of the program is to support, encourage, develop and optimise the talent of each athlete towards achieving the goals of Athletics Australia in winning medals at the Olympic and Paralympic level.
The AIS Scholarship Program consists of a maximum of 28 scholarship athletes including a number of dedicated places for athletes with a disability, along with access to one additional place through the Gary Knoke memorial fund, if/when required.
Guided by the Athletics Australia High Performance Plan (2009-12) the AIS Scholarship program has a focus on walks, athletes with a disability (sprints and jumps), 400m hurdles and individual athletes from other events recommended by Athletics Australia. As such the AIS coaches host the National Event Centre program of Athletics Australia in these events at the AIS in Canberra.
The AIS program also hosts a series of national event group camps related to these disciplines, youth development training camps and National Target Talent squad camps, on behalf of Athletics Australia in the role as the National Training Centre for the sport of track and field.
On the request of Athletics Australia, the AIS Scholarship Program has accommodated a small number of athletes outside of its event focus through to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
Successful applicants to the AIS Track and Field program are offered either:
- AIS Resident Scholarship holders who live full time in Canberra
- AIS Camps Based Scholarship holders who visit the AIS in Canberra for periods of training time
- National Squad members during National Squad camps held periodically at the AIS under the direction of the Athletics Australia.
About AIS Track and Field
Track and Field was one of the eight founding sports when the AIS was established in Canberra in 1981, and is the major high performance training centre for Athletics Australia and performance training in athletics in Australia. Athletes have access to the world-class training facilities at the AIS, which include an all-weather mondo-surface athletics track incorporating electronic timing and photo-finish equipment and a indoor 115m long training and biomechanics testing facility for sprints, hurdles and jumping events built in 2007, plus an extensive throwing field. Both outdoor and indoor facilities are commonly regarded as amongst the fastest competition venues in Australia.Athletes are supported by world-class coaching and sports science/sports medicine services, with education and career guidance playing an intrinsic role in the AIS Track and Field program's commitment to the holistic development of all athletes preparing athletes for their achievements in the sport and a career following their move from success on the Olympic stage. All AIS Track and Field Scholarship holders are expected to study or work during their time in Canberra.
The AIS Track and Field program integrates elite and emerging track and field athletes with a disability with their able-bodied counterparts. The goal of the program is to support, encourage, develop and optimise the talent of each athlete towards achieving the goals of Athletics Australia in winning medals at the Olympic and Paralympic level.
The AIS Scholarship Program consists of a maximum of 28 scholarship athletes including a number of dedicated places for athletes with a disability, along with access to one additional place through the Gary Knoke memorial fund, if/when required.
Guided by the Athletics Australia High Performance Plan (2009-12) the AIS Scholarship program has a focus on walks, athletes with a disability (sprints and jumps), 400m hurdles and individual athletes from other events recommended by Athletics Australia. As such the AIS coaches host the National Event Centre program of Athletics Australia in these events at the AIS in Canberra.
The AIS program also hosts a series of national event group camps related to these disciplines, youth development training camps and National Target Talent squad camps, on behalf of Athletics Australia in the role as the National Training Centre for the sport of track and field.
On the request of Athletics Australia, the AIS Scholarship Program has accommodated a small number of athletes outside of its event focus through to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
Successful applicants to the AIS Track and Field program are offered either:
- a full residential scholarship that covers meals, accommodation on site in the new AIS Residential complex, plus coaching, sports science , sports medicine services, ACE and access to AIS facilities
- the opportunity to live off campus and receive the athlete living-out allowance, plus coaching, sports science ,sports medicine services, ACE and access to AIS facilities
- access to the sports science/medicine services and training facilities/services in a non-permanent residential training camp setting for nominated medal winning potential athletes and camps based scholarship holders to supplement their preparation when needed, for defined short periods in a camp situation
