New Zealand Swimmer and Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Bobbi Gichard has been named flag bearer for New Zealands Youth Commonwealth Games Team to Samoa, 2015.Last year Bobbi Gichard won the Bronze medal in the 100m Backstroke at the Youth Olympics. She has just returned from a very successful campaign to the FINA World Swimming Championships in Kazan Russia. There she finished a very creditable 25th in the world in the 200m Backstroke.
Chef de Mission to Samoa, Trevor Shailer, said Gichard has shown great maturity and leadership.
"Bobbi is very focussed, disciplined and dedicated to not only performance at an elite level, but supporting her team mates." he said.
Bobbi will lead a team of 27 New Zealand athletes aged 14 18 in Samoa at the Opening Ceremony tonight, 5th September 2015. The ceremony has been described as 'immersive and uniquely Pacific.'
Commonwealth Games Federation President Louise Martin CBE said: The wonderful island nation of Samoa now joins the list of countries that have taken the brave and inspiring step to unleash the unifying power of sport and young people to send a very clear message about their place in the modern Commonwealth.
Tonight, the Commonwealth celebrates their role as inspiring hosts, and in return we the participating athletes, nations and territories - will do everything we can to ensure a festival of sporting excellence that will leave a lasting legacy, respect and reflect Samoan vision and culture, and involve and inspire their young communities.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be streamed live, in addition to daily highlights programmes, globally, free of charge at www.tv1samoa.tv. Users must register to access the footage.
A one-off subscription of $14.99 to the same website secures access to further sporting action, such as live broadcasts of Athletics and Rugby Sevens at Apia Park, multi-camera delayed transmission of Swimming, Tennis, Weightlifting and Boxing finals, and delayed transmission of Lawn Bowls, Squash and Archery events. For more information visit: www.tv1samoa.tv
New Zealand will compete in swimming, track and field, boxing, lawn bowls, squash, weightlifting and archery. The games take place 5-11 September,
For the full team click here
ABOUT BOBBI
Bobbi's first major international competition was at the 2013 World Junior Championships. The following year she claimed a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China. Bobbi's first senior international team for New Zealand was for the 16th FINA World Championships. At the event she set a personal best in her heat of the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:13.45. She also competed in the 50m and 100m backstroke. Returning to the FINA World Junior Championships in 2015 Bobbi claimed bronze in the 100m backstroke and set a NZ Age Group (15 years) record with a time of 1:00.42.
At the meet she also placed fourth in the 50m backstroke with a personal best time of 28.40 and competed in the 200m backstroke. Bobbi has also qualified to compete at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games.
EVENTS
FINA World Championships 2015 Kazan
FINA World Junior Championships
Bronze - 100m backstroke - Singapore 2015
Dubai 2013
Youth Olympic Games
Bronze - 100m backstroke - Nanjing 2014