Search for future Olympians on home soil

A NEW talent identification program that aims to unearth and fast-track future Olympians is holding a regional event at Byron Bay.

The Future Green and Gold Talent search is open to all athletes aged 13 to 23 at the Cavanbah Centre on Sunday, March 2.

The goal is to fast-track the next generation of Olympians for the 2032 Brisbane Games.

It has been described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” in being able to trial for a high-performance Olympic program on home soil.

The free event will take two-and-a-half hours and will consist of basic physical and physiological assessments from a team of high-performance coaches.

The program is a partnership between the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the National Institute Network and Paralympics Australia.

AIS national athlete identification and development lead Annette Eastwood said there was a demand to bring the program to the region.

“There was an overwhelming response to hold a northern NSW regional event and we’re really excited to be able to bring this to Byron Bay,” she said.

Athletes from all sports and skill levels will have access to high-performance coaches at the Cavanbah Centre on March 2. Photo: SUPPLIED

“The only other (NSW) event was in Sydney, and that can be difficult for people to get to.

“This is a rare chance to have access to a program close to home; we know there are lot of fantastic athletes living in regional areas.

“It’s all about fast-tracking future talent and finding our next crop of Olympians.”

A strong showing on the day will see participants advance to the talent development program, which runs for three months. The opportunity is also aimed to help athletes who are looking to transition into a different sport.

Coaches will identify potential opportunities based on height and strength, with feedback from the individual on where they want to go.

The staff expect some of the older graduates from the program to be a genuine chance to compete as early as the next Olympic Games in 2028.

Anyone attending on the day is asked to bring a water bottle and arrive in sportswear. Registrations need to be made at events.humanitix.com with the event running from 2.30pm to 5pm.