MEDIA RELEASE
September 13, 2000
Confidence in AIS Olympic athletes
Long-time Australian Institute of Sport track and field manager, Peter Bowman, is predicting a five-medal tally for Australia's athletics team in the Sydney Olympics.
"Cathy Freeman is my pick for gold and the others will be silver and bronze," he says.
"My medal call would have been one higher except that one of our javelin stars, Louisa Curry, has suffered a knee injury which will affect her chances.
"Had Louisa been fully fit she would have been a certainty for at least a bronze."
Cathy Freeman was an Australian Institute of Sport athlete between 1992 and 1995.
Peter has been at the AIS since it opened in January 1981 and currently manages track and field and swimming.
A total of 15 athletes from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra are in the 86-athlete strong Australian track and field team.
"This level of representation shows the high reputation of the Australian Institute of Sport as the cradle of sporting achievement in Australia," commented the Executive Director of the Australian Sports Commission, Jim Ferguson.
"The Commission is very proud of the achievements of the AIS as one of its programs," he added.
Meanwhile, Peter Bowman singles out Brisbane long jumper, Jai Taurima, as a medal prospect.
"Jai came fourth in the world championships in Seville and he has never looked stronger than he does now," the senior coach says.
Peter's other Australian medal predictions include Sydney's Jane Saville, and Kerry Junna-Saxby from Ballina, in the women's 20km walk.
"Jane came seventh in the world championship 20km women's walk in Seville and Kerry won a bronze in the same competition so they are certainly medal chances for the Sydney Olympics," he added.
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