Parnov to Headline Aussie Charge at World Youth Champs

Published On: 6 July 2011

The 2011 IAAF world youth championships, featuring a 29-strong Australian team, launch yet another busy fortnight on the European circuit for the green and gold.

WAIS pole vaulter Liz Parnov will headline the Australian charge in Lille, a city situated in northern France, near the Belgian border.

Parnov will begin her Youth Worlds campaign on Thursday 7 July, with the final held on Saturday 9 July. Parnov is joined in France by her father and WAIS pole vault coach Alex Parnov.

Including 20 U18 Australian champions, the world youth team apart from Parnov also includes national under 18 record holders Danni McConnell (hammer throw) and Jake Stein (octathlon).

These outstanding up and coming Australians will join athletes from more than 170 IAAF member federations for five days of blistering competition.

Meanwhile at a senior level, WAIS javelin thrower Kim Mickle will make her Diamond League debut on Friday in Paris. Mickle will be joined in competition by long jumpers Mitchell Watt and Fabrice Lapierre along with Commonwealth discus champion Benn Harradine for Round 8 of the Diamond League France.

The following day seven Australians will start at the Flanders Cup in Kortrijk (BEL), before a further five compete in Birmingham (GBR) on Sunday, July 10, as England plays host to the first of it’s two Diamond League outings.

The annual KBC Night of Athletics in Huesden (NED) and the Meeting Citta di Padova in Padova (ITA) round out the fortnight, with WAIS pole vaulter Alana Boyd set to make her 2011 international debut in the Netherlands and Aaron Rouge-Serret and Lachlan Renshaw to fly the flag in Italy.

–With Athletics Australia