The search to find and develop Australia’s next generation of sports champions is starting to bear fruit, with a number of talented athletes coming through the ranks to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Coordinators of the National Talent Identification and Development (NTID) program at the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) have been hard at work scouring the country, using recruitment drives and testing sessions to unearth potential champions in 17 Olympic sports.

Some of the talented athletes who have already qualified for their first Olympics in Beijing are Indigenous boxer Luke Boyd, kayaker Jacob Clear, Tiffany Day in judo and Carmon Marton in taekwondo.

Former NTID athletes who have qualified for the Australian Olympic team include Natalie Bale (rowing), Hannah Davis and Lyndsie Fogarty (flatwater canoe), and Sarah Cook (rowing).

General Manager of the ASC’s NTID program, Dr Jason Gulbin, said it was great to see the program paying dividends, with some of Australia’s most talented young athletes coming through the ranks.

‘It’s pleasing to see a number of leading NTID athletes breaking through to qualify for the Beijing Games ahead of schedule,’ Dr Gulbin said.

The main aims of the NTID program have been to identify, develop and fast-track Australian athletes, and to qualify athletes for sports that have the potential to achieve success at the London 2012 Olympics.

Talent transfer is another big part of the NTID program, where athletes have the physical attributes and skills to switch between sports.

‘NTID athletes are performing well and starting to enjoy some good results in the lead up to Beijing. The NTID program is proving an effective pathway for emerging talent to achieve their best in their chosen sports, backed by quality coaching and sports science expertise,’ said Dr Gulbin.

For more details about the ASC’s NTID program visit ausport.gov.au/participating/got_talent