Olympic dream for Docklander
Local athlete Deanna Lockett will compete on the world stage at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, this month.
At just 18 years of age, she’s an Olympic Games debutant and has qualified for the 1000 metre and 1500 metre short track speed-skating events.
Ms Lockett has been skating since she was eight years old and moved with her family from Brisbane to Docklands in 2011 so she could train at the Icehouse.
Following her selection for the Olympic team in January, Ms Lockett said she was feeling excited but was focusing on her preparation.
Training in Melbourne in the lead up to the Games involved two hours on the ice and two hours at the gym six days per week, under Olympic Winter Institute of Australia’s short track speed-skating head coach Ann Zhang.
Ms Lockett left Australia in mid-January to head to Turkey for further pre-Olympic training before arriving in Sochi ahead of the Games.
Given it’s her first Olympic Games and she’s one of the youngest competitors, Ms Lockett was modest about her chances of winning a medal but said she aimed to make the top-10.
“I hope to make the semi-final for the 1500-metre and a top-10 would be the best, but we’ll just see how it goes,” Ms Lockett said.
“With the Olympics, it’s the top 30 women so all the skaters are going to be tough.”
But she’ll be one to watch at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea where she hopes to really make her mark and bring home a medal.
Joining her in Sochi is 20-year-old Pierre Boda who also trains locally at the Icehouse and has qualified for the 500-metre short track event.
“It means so much to me to have made the Olympic team, especially after making so many sacrifices and years of hard work,” Mr Boda said.
“It’s the biggest dream of any athlete to be able to compete for Australia at an Olympic Games.”
The Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games begin on February 7, with the short track speed skating heats kicking off on February 10.
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