Sam Rizzo to Represent Australia at Commonwealth Games

FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport athlete and Damscus College student, Sam Rizzo, has been selected to represent Australia in next month’s Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Rizzo, 17, from Buninyong, has been selected to compete in the T54 1500m track event.

FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport Patron and Australian Team Chef de Mission, Steve Moneghetti, congratulated the new members and reiterated the strength of the Team.

"Congratulations to the 44 new members on the Team, we now have a full athletics squad that will represent Australia on the Gold Coast in April," Moneghetti said.

"It has been over 10 years since we have had such a strong squad in Athletics and I am really looking forward to being a part of it and encouraging everyone to go out there and do their best.

Only last month, Rizzo was jointly awarded the Wunhym Trophy as Ballarat’s Junior Sportsperson of the Year for 2017, by the Ballarat Sportsmen’s Club.

In 2017, Rizzo was selected as the flag-bearer for Australia at the World Junior Para-Athletics International Competition. At the meeting, Rizzo claimed a silver medal in the Para-athletics 400m (U18 T51-54) and collected three bronze medals in the 100m, 800m and 1500m (U18 T51-54), respectively.

Corey Saitta, Executive Officer of the FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport, said, “Sam’s selection is an historic moment in the evolution of the Academy. Sam is our first athlete to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games. It is a wonderful opportunity for Sam to test himself against the world’s best, in open company”.


For further details contact: Corey Saitta, Executive Officer – WestVic Academy of Sport
(M) 0417 044 419