Australia’s top aerial skiers and snowboarders got a boost of confidence in August, taking part in an intensive training camp at Mount Buller alpine resort in Victoria, in preparation for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Some of Australia’s best winter athletes participating in the Australian Institute of Sport/Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (AIS/OWIA) training camp, including aerial skiers and World Cup champions Lydia Lassila and Jacqui Cooper, and team-mates Liz Gardner and Bree Munro; ski cross athletes Jenny Owens, Katya Crema and Scott Kneller; and snowboarder Joh Shaw.

The world-class training facilities at Mt Buller include a purpose-built ski jump designed to help AIS/OWIA athletes like Lydia Lassila perfect their spectacular aerial routines and gain the edge over their northern hemisphere rivals. The camp also gave AIS/OWIA skiers a chance to practice for the ABOM Mogul Challenge, held at Mt Buller from 29 August.

Chef de Mission of the Australian Winter Olympic team, Ian Chesterman, welcomed the training opportunity.

‘The value of this training opportunity can’t be emphasised enough. Not only will our athletes be getting four weeks on snow without having to compete for jumping time with their rival aerialists, they will also be training on their home mountain in a familiar environment,’ Chesterman said.

‘I am sure we will see the benefits of this training block when the pre-Games World Cup events get under way in December.’

Australia expects to send around 35 athletes to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and 12 alpine skiers to the Paralympic Games.

The Australian Institute of Sport works in joint partnership with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia to provide top-level coaching and sports science, and world-class training facilities for winter sport athletes in alpine, mogul and aerial freestyle skiing; ski cross; half pipe, snowboard cross and alpine snowboarding; short track speed skating, skeleton and figure skating.