Tauranga athletes Anna Higgins and Cole O'Connor Stratton have been named as part of a 180-strong squad of top young New Zealand athletes to take part in the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.

Unfortunately due to a recent injury Cole, who won the Secondary School Sportsman of the Year award for 2012 at the recent BOP Sports Awards, is now unable to compete in the two classes he was selected for, K1 & C1M.

Anna Higgins in action.

This has opened an opportunity for another local paddler, Callum Gilbert, to join the team.

Callum, who has just finished Year 12 at Tauranga Boys' College, has embraced the opportunity to compete at this level on the Sydney 2000 Olympic course in Penrith.

Anna, a Tauranga Girls' College student, who won the top female paddler trophy at this year's NZ Secondary Schools' championships, was recently awarded a BayTrust scholarship as well as a supreme sports award at her school sports prize giving.

The Australian Youth Olympic Festival offers a unique opportunity for aspiring Olympians to compete in an environment similar to the Olympic Games.

With top New Zealand athletes, Lisa Carrington (K1-200 gold, London 2012), Blair Tuke and Peter Burling (sailing 49er, silver, London 2012) beginning their careers at the AYOF, the athletes named will benefit from the lessons learnt at earlier editions of the Olympic Festival.

The young athletes, who are representing New Zealand at the 2013 AYOF, will compete against top junior athletes from 24 nations in athletics, three on three basketball, badminton, canoe/kayak, cycling, diving, golf, swimming, gymnastics, shooting, triathlon, rowing, weightlifting, wrestling and rowing.

Village living alongside athletes from different codes and nationalities will be part of the Olympic-style experience for the young athletes, preparing them for future multi-sport games.

The Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) was initiated by the Australian Olympic Committee following the success of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

The inaugural festival was in January 2001 and takes place every four years, alternating with the IOC-run Youth Olympic Games.

The AYOF is fully funded by the Australian Olympic Committee and is held under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee.

In 2012 around 1800 athletes aged between 13 – 19 years will compete in 20 sports.

The full team for Canoe Slalom is:

Coach: Aaron Osborne (Coachforce Officer Canoe Slalom, Sport BOP)

Manager: Lou Higgins (Tauranga)

Athletes:

Anna Higgins (Tauranga)

Jessica Bailey (Wanaka)

Finn Butcher (Alexandra)

Marcus Norbury (Alexandra)

Callum Gilbert (Tauranga)

Tommy McDowell (Nelson)