IMAGE|| L-R Skye Nicolson, Caitlin Parker, Taylah Robertson, Anja Stridsman & Kaye Scott

Commonwealth Games Australia today announced a 13 strong boxing team to compete at Gold Coast 2018.

The announcement was made at the AIS Combat Centre in Canberra, with athletes being welcomed on to the team by Australian Team Executive member Petria Thomas OAM.   

Twelve of the 13 boxers will be making their Commonwealth Games debut, while World Championships silver medallist Kaye Scott is set to take the ring at her second Commonwealth Games after competing in Glasgow 2014.

After debuting on the program at the Glasgow 2014 Games, an expanded women’s boxing program for Gold Coast 2018 will see the team feature five female athletes and eight male athletes.

Taylah Robertson from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland is the youngest member of the team at 19 years of age, while a further six athletes are aged 22 or under.

Twenty-two year-old Skye Nicholson from Yatala in Queensland will make her Commonwealth Games debut, following in the footsteps of her late brother Jamie who won bronze at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games.

Three years after being teammates for the Samoa 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, Jack Bowen (gold medallist) and Harrison Garside will both feature at Gold Coast 2018 in the male 56kg and 60kg divisions respectively.

Heavyweight and 2016 Rio Olympian Jason Whateley will also make his Commonwealth Games debut along with super heavyweight Toese Vousiutu, a former Melbourne Storm NRL squad member.

Anja Stridsman, Caitlin Parker, Liam Wilson, Terry Nickolas, Campbell Somerville, and Clay Waterman make up the team of the 13.

Australian Team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti welcomed the selection of the Australian boxing team.

“This is a really exciting young boxing team and I look forward to seeing what they can achieve at Gold Coast 2018,” he said.

“It is fantastic to see the women’s boxing program expand at the Commonwealth Games and great to see five strong female competitors named in the Australian team.

“As Chef de Mission one of things you enjoy most is welcoming debutants on to their first Commonwealth Games team. It is very special.

“Jack Bowen is one of the 12 debutants and it is a great story to see him progress from Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist in 2015 to the Gold Coast team in 2018,” Moneghetti said.

Boxing is a Commonwealth Games core sport and has been on the program since the inaugural 1930 British Empire Games.

Australia has won a total of 62 Commonwealth Games medals in boxing, including 15 gold. At the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Australian boxers claimed two gold and a silver medal.

AUSTRALIAN BOXING TEAM FOR GOLD COAST 2018

WOMENS

Taylah Robertson, 51kg, QLD

Skye Nicolson, 57kg, QLD

Anja Stridsman, 60kg, NSW

Kaye Scott, 69kg, NSW

Caitlin Parker, 75kg, WA

MENS

Jack Bowen, 56kg, VIC

Harry Garside, 60kg, VIC

Liam Wilson, 64kg, QLD

Terry Nickolas, 69kg, SA

Campbell Somerville, 75kg, VIC

Clay Waterman, 81kg, QLD

Jason Whateley, 91kg, VIC

Toese Vousiutu, 91+kg, VIC