A WORD-association test in Footscray on ‘Olympic’ would almost always prompt ‘doughnut’ as a rapid reply. (You’d be thinking of the Olympic doughnut van at the railway station.)
But for a group of current and recent London-bound Victoria University students, the Olympic Games are a chance to fight for gold on one of the sporting world’s biggest stages.
Ross Smith and Renuga Veeran will be VU’s great hopes at the London Olympics (July 27-August 12). Both will be competing in badminton, Smith in the men’s doubles and Veeran in the women’s doubles.
Two former students have also been confirmed for the green and gold team – Ivo Dos Santos in judo and Tarren Otte in synchronised swimming.
Alumni Luke Doerner and Ashlee Wells remain in contention for the Olympic Kookaburra and Hockeyroo squads.
Smith, studying exercise science and human movement, is ranked 26th in the world in badminton doubles.
It will be his second Olympics following on from Beijing in 2008.
Veeran, a Sunshine North resident studying secondary education, is ranked 30th and will be making her Olympic debut. Smith and Veeran recently teamed up to represent Australia and won the mixed doubles title at this year’s Air Tahiti Nui International Challenge in Papeete.
Santos, the 2011 VU male athlete of the year, will be making his Olympic debut in judo after winning the Oceania championships for a fourth time.
Otte graduated in 2008, the same year she finished seventh in the synchronised swimming team event at the Beijing Olympics.
Law student Gregory Farrell is no slouch, either, and will compete in the world ironman championship in Hawaii in October.
Farrell is the fastest ironman triathlete in his age group in the Asia-Pacific region and has high hopes for the championship.
