Cole To Lead Australian Youth Team At Trinbago 2023

Paralympic swimming icon Ellie Cole OAM has been appointed as Australian Team General Manager for the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.

One of Australia’s most decorated female swimmers, Cole has represented Australia at three Commonwealth Games (2010, 2018, and 2022) and four Paralympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020).

During that time, she claimed three Commonwealth Games bronze medals and one silver medal, while also winning a record-breaking 17 Paralympic medals, including six gold, five silver and six bronze medals.

Trinbago 2023 marks her first appointment to a team executive position, following in the footsteps of her mentor and Birmingham 2022 and Victoria 2026 Chef de Mission Petria Thomas OAM.

“I am thrilled to be appointed as the Australian Team General Manager for Trinbago 2023 and can’t wait to welcome our team members to the Games villages in August,” Cole said.

“I have been fortunate to compete at three Commonwealth Games, and both the Games and the movement holds a special place in my heart. I hope these athletes will come to feel the same way.”

“I look forward to this new challenge and the opportunities that come with it, in particular supporting the young team members as they embark on their Commonwealth Games journey.”

Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA) CEO Craig Phillips AM welcomed the appointment of Cole, thrilled to see her join the team in a new and different role.

“I extend my congratulations to Ellie on her appointment and look forward to watching her take on the challenge of a new role as the Australian Team General Manager,” Phillips said.

“The Commonwealth Youth Games provide our next generation of talent with invaluable exposure to international competition. They are an important steppingstone in their high-performance development, often exposing them to the rigour and excitement of a multi-sport tournament for the first time.”

“To have a leader of Ellie’s calibre bring her unique perspective is a huge advantage for our team and extremely beneficial for the athletes.”

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Greg Hire, Birmingham 2022 silver medallist in Men’s 3×3 Basketball and founder of non-profit A Stitch in Time, which focuses on promoting wellbeing through advocacy, education, and social connection, will join Cole as Deputy General Manager for the Trinbago Team, bringing his own experiences to the role.

Team quotas for several sports have also now been confirmed, with swimming and cycling each eligible to send 10 representatives, athletics will field a team of 17 and triathlon will be represented by two athletes.
Team invitations have also been issued to Australia’s FAST5 netball team, the women’s rugby 7’s and both a men’s and women’s beach volleyball duo.

Further slots may still be issued by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), with CGA to assess the criteria for distribution among sports.

The 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from 4 – 11 August 2023, with seven sports on the program, including athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, FAST5 netball, rugby 7s, swimming, and triathlon.

Trinbago will host the seventh edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games, with previous games held in Edinburgh (2002), Bendigo (2004), Pune, India (2011), Isle of Man (2014), Samoa (2015), and the Bahamas (2017).

Ellie Cole OAM at the Commonwealth Games

By: Commonwealth Games Australia
Posted: 13 March 2023