The anxious wait is over for Australian figue skater Cheltzie Lee. The 16-year-old was last night told by AOC Director of Sport Fiona de Jong, that her place at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games had been confirmed.
The anxious wait is over for Australian figue skater Cheltzie Lee.
The 16-year-old was last night told by AOC Director of Sport Fiona de Jong, that her place at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games had been confirmed - just 10 days away from the Opening Ceremony.
The Sydney skater was sitting in first reserve for a start at the Games and although there was speculation that the Israeli Olympic Committee would not send their skater, nothing could be confirmed until the deadline for the Israeli officials had passed.
Tamar Katz met the International Skating Union's standards for Olympic eligibility but the Israeli Olympic Committee imposed a tougher benchmark.
For the extremely talented Lee it is a chance to show the world she can match it in the big time after a disappointing World Championship result in 2009 left her out of automatic qualification.
Last week Lee finished a solid 14th at the Four Continents Championship in Korea.
In 2007 aged just 14 she competed at the 2007 Australian Youth Olympic Festival where she placed sixth.This experience will be invaluable for her Vancouver Olympic Campaign.
Lee's selection lifts the 2010 Australian Olympic Winter Team to 38. The quota allocation for women's bobsleigh is yet to be finalised and hopefully Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and Cecilia McIntosh will get a place in the Games. Australia's largest Olympic Winter Team was in 2006 with 40 athletes.
More to come.
AOC
