Showjumper named as Britain’s flag bearer for Youth Olympic Games

Jake Saywell, who volition hold out the flag bearer for the British squad at the Youth Olympic Games. © Jake Saywell/Facebook

A immature showjumper from Dorset inwards England is to hold out the British team’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games inwards Nanjing, China, on Saturday.

Jake Saywell, 17, is the exclusively equestrian athlete inwards the 33-strong British team. He won a hush-hush ballot for the abide by from 12 other nominees, during a reception hosted yesteryear the British Consul at the Intercontinental Hotel inwards Nanjing.

The teenager told Sportsbeat it was a stupor when his get upwards was called out yesteryear Team GB chef de mission Sarah Winckless.

“I never expected it at all because at that spot are together with then many groovy athletes hither together with then it was a groovy surprise together with I experience real honoured together with privileged to hold out voted yesteryear my swain teammates together with friends together with it simply feels great.

“Equestrian isn’t the biggest sport hither but it simply shows that everyone is noticing it immediately together with nosotros direct keep had unopen to real expert results inwards the concluding Olympics together with Europeans together with then the exclusively means is up,” Saywell said.

“This has given me a large boost immediately together with I simply can’t hold off to larn going.”

Equestrian sport is inwards the blood for the youngster, who is a fellow member of the British Equestrian Federation’s World Class Development Programme. His grandfather, Mike, competed inwards the showjumping at the 1972 Olympics inwards Munich.

There are thirty athletes from thirty nations competing inwards the jumping competitions, i of 28 sports at this instant edition of the summertime Youth Olympic Games, which are held every 4 years.

The outset Equus caballus inspection on Thursday was the outset chance for riders to run across the horses who would hold out upwards for ballot.

Coincidentally, at that spot are xv boys together with xv girls taking part, together with xv nations are competing at the Games for the outset time.

The novel countries are Cayman Islands, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Paraguay, Senegal together with Sweden.

They bring together riders from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Italy, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Qatar, South Africa, Uruguay together with Zimbabwe, whose countries were represented at the previous Games inwards Singapore.

More on the equestrian events at the YOG

• Three athletes who were to compete at the Games direct keep been pulled from the contest because they are from Ebola direct chances areas inwards West Africa.

The equestrian contest is unaffected, but the Games Organising Committee has advised that athletes from the affected portion volition non compete inwards contact sports (affecting ii participants) or inwards the puddle (one athlete).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) together with the Nanjing Organising Committee said today they had been “reassured yesteryear the wellness regime that at that spot direct keep been no suspected cases together with that the direct chances of infection is extremely unlikely”.

Athletes from the portion volition hold out dependent area to regular temperature together with physical assessment throughout the period, they said.

“We regret that due to this number unopen to immature athletes may direct keep suffered twice, both from the anguish caused yesteryear the outbreak inwards their abode countries together with yesteryear non existence able to compete inwards the Youth Olympic Games,” the IOC together with the Games OC said.

“The athletes who direct keep non been able to participate volition likewise have inwards the nearly time to come an invitation from the IOC together with the organizing commission to come upwards to Nanjing to accept utilization inwards a sporting contest together with to experience the welcoming atmosphere together with spirit of the urban heart together with somebody together with Jiangsu province.”

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