10-year-old with autism ‘excluded' from NSW cross country champs
7News reports Charlie Cox made it to the North Coast Cross Country Championships and qualified for the state finals as a special needs athlete.
'We were very disappointed that Charlie was excluded,' Charlie's father Owen told 7News.
Tennis Australia and Swimming Australia both have classifications for athletes with formally diagnosed autism, but Australian Athletics does not include autism within its framework.
'As such, the inclusion of an autism category for the sports of athletics and cross country are not feasible in the Representative School Sport Pathway as there are no nationally recognised benchmarks to support fair and consistent result calculation,' the NSW Department of Education said.
'Other states and territories that have made local provisions for participation do so outside the formal School Sport Australia pathway and there is no fair or consistent result calculation, nor is there a pathway to the next level of representation.
'Your concern is acknowledged and please be reassured that the NSW Department of Education remains committed to advocating for broader inclusion through national sporting bodies such as Athletics Australia.'
The news comes after a Year 9 student with dwarfism was told last year he couldn't compete because of a rule from World Para Athletics that's recently been adopted by School Sport Australia.
Hugo, a Year 9 student from Sydney's Northern Beaches was told he couldn't compete at national trials.
Hugo has genetic disorder achondroplasia – the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism, but that hasn't stopped him running.
'I like the feeling of adrenaline. Halfway through the run, I get a feeling that I can't stop, otherwise I'll be so disappointed in myself, and I just like that feeling of running and it just makes me happy,' Hugo told 7NEWS.
For years he has competed at state level, but he can no longer compete in any long-distance events because of a new rule adopted by School Sports Australia.
'It's really sad, I see the joy that Hugo gets when he's competing … there's not that many opportunities for kids with disabilities to have success and it's really sad to see that as a mother ripped away from him and without any reasons,' Hugo's mum Alicia said.
'I just don't understand why, it doesn't harm anyone else. It doesn't affect anyone; he has individual medical clearance to do it and it's just really hard to understand.'
The new rule, enforced by Athletics Australia is based on medical advice relating to short-statured people running long distances.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
14 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Trainer Joseph Pride excited to get the best out of Godolphin galloper Kerguelen
Joe Pride has only put the polish on Kerguelen for a matter of days but is trusting the form stacking up around his new arrival as he looks to train his first Godolphin winner at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Kerguelen will be Pride's first starter for Godolphin after the 'Blue Army' moved to a public training model from this season. Godolphin's new era got off to a flyer last weekend with Amusing delivering the racing powerhouse its first winner with champion trainer Chris Waller. Kerguelen gets his chance to make a similarly emphatic first impression for his new yard in the Asahi Super Dry Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m) with star jockey Nash Rawiller aboard. 'He is a lovely big horse,' Pride said. 'He gets onto a wet track and we know that will be no problem for him. 'I think he is coming through what now looks to be a pretty good form race with King Of Roseau going down and winning at Flemington the other day in the Aurie's Star. 'You could mount an argument he could have gone close to beating him. He looks like a nice horse.' Kerguelen did his best work late last start to finish runner-up to King Of Roseau at Rosehill Gardens on July 19 in his final start for James Cummings. Bookies rate Kerguelen as a $3.30 favourite to kick off with a win for his new stable. Two of Pride's new three-year-olds from Godolphin will trial on Friday at Warwick Farm, including Kirkham Plate winner Comedy. The 2023 Golden Eagle placegetter Golden Mile is also on the list of horses inherited by the Warwick Farm conditioner. 'I've got 21 of them on my books now so it's a decent size team there and some very nice three-year-olds there,' Pride said. Private Eye lines-up on Friday morning with the two-time The Everest placegetter also down to trial at Warwick Farm twenty four hours before the race.
News.com.au
14 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Storm's minor premiership dream grows as Broncos' horror night could ruin season
The Melbourne Storm have moved to first on the NRL ladder after a dominant 22-2 win over the Broncos, who suffered a major triple injury blow. Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam both suffered hamstring injuries while attempting to chase down Xavier Coates in the 21st minute and will be sent for scans on Friday. Star winger Selwyn Cobbo was then assisted from the field in the final three minutes of the game with a reported hamstring injury too. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > It came after a thrilling contest between the two heavyweight sides that really heated up when Coates intercepted a Broncos pass and ran 95 metres only to be taken over by the sideline by Cobbo with arguably the tackle of the season. While that was happening there were major dramas unfolding back up the field. Reynolds limped off before Mam followed seconds later with both later ruled out for the remainder of the game. The double injury blow forced the Broncos into a major reshuffle with Kotoni Staggs and Ben Hunt moving into the halves, Billy Walters to hooker and Jack Gosiewski to centre. With the Broncos reeling from the chaos the Storm struck with back-to-back tries to go into halftime with a 10-point lead. The Storm picked up where they left off in the second half with Coates scoring back-to-back tries to seal the result. To the Broncos' credit they hung in there and showed plenty of courage to stay in the game but they now face a nervous wait on the scan results for Reynolds, Mam and Cobbo. BRONCOS ROCKED BY INJURIES The Broncos' premiership hopes are hanging by a thread after a pair of hammer injury blows in the first half of their loss against the Storm. After an attack that included multiple offloads, Xavier Coates intercepted a pass and came desperately close to scoring, with Selwyn Cobbo delivering a try-saving tackle. However, during his chase, Reynolds pulled up lame and stopped in his tracks, hobbling off the field with a hamstring injury. Then, his halves partner, Ezra Mam followed in a worst-case scenario for Michael Maguire. Luckily for the Broncos, the versatile Ben Hunt and Billy Walters were able to slot into the halves, but they didn't do enough to inspire their side to victory. Fox League's Michael Ennis was in shock at halftime saying he'd 'never seen it before', before declaring: 'in a matter of seconds the Broncos' season has nosedived.' To make matters worse, Selwyn Cobbo was assisted from the field in the final three minutes with a reported hamstring injury too. STORM MOVE TO FIRST ON NRL LADDER The Melbourne Storm have taken a big step towards securing their seventh minor premiership after their win over the Broncos took them to first on the ladder. They will have to continue this form over the final month of the season though to get the job done- but that won't be an easy feat when you have a look at their run home. Next week they face the Panthers, who are running hot on an eight-game winning streak, before facing the Bulldogs and Roosters. They then finish the regular season off by meeting the Broncos again in the final round. If they can secure the minor premiership it would be a seriously impressive feat given they lost their star halfback and reigning Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes to a shoulder injury. GRANT STARS IN MILESTONE MATCH Harry Grant celebrated his 100th NRL game with a stellar performance in the Storm's statement win over the Broncos. It was clear from the get go that Grant was in a mood with the milestone man taking every chance he had to run. In fact, at the 15-minute mark he had already racked up 45 metres – the most of any Storm player and only second to Broncos powerhouse Payne Haas. 'What a threat Harry Grant has been, in the opening 10 minutes of this game their attack has revolved around what happens at dummy-half,' Fox League's Greg Alexander said. 'He has great deception, he looks one way and runs the other. He's just got them under the pump all the time. 'Is there a more influential No.9 in the game? He has been a threat every time he's had the ball.' Meanwhile, Michael Ennis — a premiership-winning hooker — added: 'Harry Grant has been brilliant, he has been superb out of dummy-half.' Grant finished with a try assist, two linebreaks, two linebreak assists, three tackle busts, 75 running metres and 21 tackles — three misses.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
General Salute to ramp up spring assault in Missile
Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have had a low-key start to the season but smart sprinter General Salute is primed to help ramp up their spring assault in Saturday's Group 2 $300,000 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick. Ryan and Alexiou are yet to have a runner for the 2025/26 campaign as the bulk of their team of spring contenders edge closer to their racing returns in the coming weeks. READ: Boss: Famous Melbourne Cup line sums up Lee Freedman General Salute will be the first of their spring arsenal to line-up – and could potentially be the training partnership's first runner of the new campaign. The stakes-winning gelding is returning from a brief freshen-up after working home strongly for third in the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 28. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet IQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The state of the Randwick track has several stables weighing up giving their Missile Stakes contenders a chance on a likely heavy surface in Sydney with race favourite Private Eye ($2.60) and Encap ($19) both question marks. But Ryan and co-trainer Sterling Alexiou are prepared to give General Salute his chance despite the son of Russian Revolution never being exposed to heavy ground. General Salute has proven to be adept in soft going and was a winner of the Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on a soft 7 earlier this year. 'The three wins have been on soft ground and he has never been on heavy but his half-brother Brutality that Joe Pride trained was a pretty good horse on heavy tracks I think,' Ryan said. READ: 'Amazing change': Developer backs in Valley revolution 'General Salute has done well. He had two weeks down the water walker and a freshen-up after his last run in Queensland and has come back well. Trainer Gerald Ryan is confident General Salute is ready to run a race in Saturday's Missile Stakes Picture:'He basically hasn't been out of work.' Tim Clark partnered General Salute, a $3.80 second elect, last start in Brisbane and will continue his association with the gelding in the Missile. Ryan is hopeful Clark is able to take advantage of a better draw this time around with General Salute drawn in the inside. 'The last three starts he has gone back in his races because he has drawn wide,' Ryan said. 'I know when Tyler Schiller won on him he said 'if he ever draws inside of four, he will race a lot handier' and Tim Clark said the same in Queensland. 'He drew wide and jumped nearly a neck in front but couldn't keep going forward that day so he went back on him. 'From the barrier he will probably land a lot closer and there doesn't look to be brilliant speed in the race.' Ryan and Alexiou are keen to strike early in the spring with a string of sprint stakes assignments, including the Group 3 $250,000 Show County Quality on August 23, on the menu for General Salute if he can perform on Saturday. 'That race (Group 3 Show County) and the 1300m in the Theo Marks (on September 13) would be his three races and then we will give him a breather,' Ryan said. 'He had foot problems as a young horse and that's why he had that long time off. 'We want to shy away running him on firmer tracks.' READ: J-Mac: Ka Ying Rising beatable in The Everest Promising mare Fleeting Spirit could make her return in the Petaluma Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). Tyler Schiller rides General Salute to win the Star Kingdom Stakes at Rosehill in April Picture:The daughter of Per Incanto has been off the scene for the past 136 days after heading for a let-up following her maiden victory at Randwick Kensington in March. Ryan has better races in store for Fleeting Spirit but would be reluctant to run the four-year-old if conditions don't improve. 'We will decide on the day or just beforehand and see what race we get,' Ryan said. 'She is a nice mare and has improved. I think there is a stakes race in there somewhere one day and there is plenty of them coming up. 'We will just go back to a Benchmark race in a couple of weeks' time if we don't run her there on Saturday first-up.' Fleeting Spirit is a half-sister to this year's Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine with the classy pair sharing the same mother Caserta. Fleeting Spirit is a $15 chance to return a winner with Kerrin McEvoy aboard.
