2006 High Performance Group and National Senior Squad

National Senior Squad

The purpose of the National Senior Squad is to give formal recognition to excellent results over the last year by naming the top twenty or so orienteers.  It is also a vehicle for identifying those with the best potential for international representation next year, as a focus for coaching, training and other support. 

The selection panel has reviewed the National Senior Squad and has announced the following squad for 2006. Additional members may be added to the squad during 2006 if they rise to the same standard and level of commitment to the sport during the year. Athletes will not be removed from the squad until it is reviewed again at the end of next year, unless they voluntarily retire (either temporarily or longer-term) from active competition.

Congratulations to all the selected squad members. 

Women	Men	
Hanny Allston	Troy de Haas	
Jo Allison	David Shepherd	
Tracy Bluett	Julian Dent	
Grace Elson	Rob Walter	
Allison Jones	Eric Morris	
Danielle Winslow	Robbie Preston	
Clare Hawthorne	Tom Quayle	
Kathryn Ewels	Ben Rattray	
Anna Sheldon	Gareth Candy	
Susanne Casanova	Bruce Arthur	
Julia Davies	Kerrin Rattray	
Jasmine Neve	Reuben Smith	

High Performance Group (HPG)

The purpose of the HPG is to select the most outstanding prospects for the World Championships team for the next year. The aim is to provide them with financial and other support to help them reach their potential at WOC. The guiding principle is to pick those with genuine potential or proven ability to achieve top 16 results at WOC. Given our very limited resources, we also aim to select typically six or fewer athletes to ensure that the funding is not diluted so much as to be of little practical value to each athlete. As occurred in 2005, we may add to the HPG during 2006 if additional athletes show the same potential as those already in the group. Given the focus on performance at WOC, and the limited places available, we also expect any athlete in the HPG who is not aiming for WOC, or who is injured, to voluntarily withdraw from the HPG. The selectors may also remove anyone from the HPG who does not actively embrace the opportunities for WOC preparation that membership offers.

Selection of the WOC team is independent of the HPG. Membership of the HPG in no way guarantees selection in the WOC team, and members still have to prove their worth through the WOC selection process next year. Similarly, omission from the HPG at this stage should not be taken to indicate that an athlete has little chance of gaining selection for WOC. 

The High Performance Group for 2006 is:

Women

Jo Allison
Hanny Allston
Tracy Bluett

Men

Troy de Haas
Dave Shepherd
Julian Dent

Congratulations to all selected athletes.

Paul Liggins
Chairperson, selection panel

Home phone: 03 9853 2834
Fax: 03 8613 2624
Mobile: 0408 417 335
Email: paul.liggins@au.pwc.com