University trio off to Winter Universiade

THREE University of Ballarat students have been included in the Australian squad for the 25th Winter Universiade, in Erzurum, Turkey, beginning in January. Phillip Bellingham and Paul Kovacs will compete in cross-country skiing, with Giles Richardson selected to hit the slopes in the biathlon. The University of Ballarat boasts the largest number of squad members in the team of 12 students and five officials. Bellingham and Kovacs competed at the Australian University Championship Snow Sports early this year, claiming a bronze medal and fourth placing respectively. Bellingham's medal capped a successful campaign at the Snow Sports, held at Mt Buller in August and September, with a sixth place in the skier cross event, and runs in the moguls and alpine super giant slalom divisions. These results came after much hard work and success while competing across Europe, including a top-15 finish at the Swiss National Championships. He recently completed his first year of study at the University of Ballarat, where he is undertaking a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science. Richardson, who has represented Australia at the World Junior Titles for the past two years, is the current Victorian and Australian Biathlon Champion in the under-20 sprint and junior distance events. He competed at the World Junior and Youth Biathlon Championships in Sweden this year and works as a ski instructor at Lake Mountain during the Australian winter. Kovacs, fresh from competing in Canada, is back in America where he is training hard with Bellingham in the lead-up to the Universiade. The Exercise and Sport Sciences student gained some impressive results at these national championships with a third and fourth placing in the sprint and distance categories respectively. University of Ballarat sport and recreation officer Geoff Smith said he was thrilled with the efforts of the students. "It is a credit to the hard work these students have put in over a long period of time to be selected in this squad. It is such a fantastic opportunity to represent your country at this age, and myself and the whole university are right behind these guys," Smith said. "They still have plenty of work and training to go, but their current form and work they have already put in will hold them in good stead as the Universiade starts to come around."All the athletes are currently overseas training in preparation for the games.