Figure skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry have been announced as the final athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee, with the pair to contest the men's and women's individual events in Beijing.
Kerry will compete at his third Olympics, joining just three Australian figure skaters to have achieved this milestone, while Pyeongchang Olympian Craine returns for her second Games.
The selections take Australia’s Olympic Team size to 44 athletes across 10 disciplines.
Craine and Kerry both locked in Olympic quotas for Australia with impressive performances at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany in September last year, securing one of only seven male and six female quota spots remining in their final quota event to ensure Australia would be represented in men’s and women’s figure skating in Beijing.
The pair confirmed their nomination and fine-tuned their Olympic preparation at the Four Continents Championship in Estonia this week, with Kerry finishing sixth overall and Craine in eleventh.
Kerry is continuing his family’s Olympic Figure Skating heritage, with his mother Monica McDonald competing at the 1998 Calgary Olympics.
Chef de Mission for the Australian Olympic Team for Beijing, Geoff Lipshut congratulated the pair on their selection.
“I’m thrilled to announce Brendan and Kailani in the Australian Team for Beijing,” Mr Lipshut said.
“Both Brendan and Kailani have demonstrated their dedication to their sport and the pursuit of excellence throughout their careers. To join just three other figures skaters in Australian Winter Olympic history to compete at three Games is a special achievement for Brendan.
“Figure Skating is always one of the most watched sports at the Games and I know millions of Australians will enjoy cheering on Kailani and Brendan as they compete on the biggest stage in just a few short weeks. I know they will represent Australia, their families and their sport with great pride.
“Thank you to Ice Skating Australia and the family, friends and supporters who have helped Kailani and Brendan realise their Olympic dreams.”
23-year-old Craine says she is primed to better the 16th place she achieved at her debut Olympics in Pyeongchang.
“It's hard to even put into words of what it means, I've been chasing this the whole season,” Craine said. “Going into an Olympic cycle, this is definitely the end goal and I'm so proud of myself that I've been able to push myself the whole season.”
“I feel like the strongest that I have been mentally and physically, so hopefully I can bring that out
in the in the Games.
“In Beijing I want to be to continue my streak of attempting my triple-triple in the short program. I'm really glad that this season, I haven't backed out of that, so that's a huge mental step forward for me. I really want to better my results from the last Olympics, put out two solid performances and enjoy it.”
The Figure Skating competition will run from 4-20 February in the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, with Kerry’s men’s singles event from the 8th to the 10th and Craine’s women’s singles from 15th to the 17th.
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