The first of ten rowing teams has been named for the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, set to take place at the Sydney International Regatta Centre next January.

With seven Australian state and territory teams taking to the Penrith course on the 19th and 20th of January, the ACT will be looking to forge its way to the medals with a team of 17 athletes named.

At just 18 but with a wealth of junior experience to his name is Luke Letcher from Campbell. The 2012 national champion under 19 single sculler, Letcher was also a member of the champion 2012 national under 19 quad scull crew.

He also won the 2012 NSW Champion Schoolboy Single Sculls title and was this year selected in the Australian Junior men’s quad scull that competed at the Junior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria this year.
 
In 2011 Luke, along with AYOF teammate Alex Stuchbery was a member of an undefeated schoolboy quad scull that won National, NSW and ACT championships.

The AYOF rowing program will consist of 12 different boat classes, only one of which (the women’s four) is a non-Olympic events. There will be 180 athletes in the regatta with international crews coming from Great Britain, New Zealand and Vanuatu.

At the London Olympics in August this year, 18 of the Australian rowers were alumni of a past Australian Youth Olympic Festival. And with the team going head to head with its British and Kiwi rivals for medals, the AYOF is set to be a good training ground for future Games.

The ACT rowing team for the 2013 AYOF: