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Craig HillBronco's Jharal Yow Yeh An Olympic Contender?
December 23rd 2008 07:38
BRONCOS winger Jharal Yow Yeh has the right stuff to be an Olympian but his ambition is to follow in the footsteps of his great-uncle Kevin Yow Yeh.
The respected member of the winger's family played in a Sydney grand final with Balmain in 1966.
Yesterday, on his 19th birthday, Yow Yeh sprinted across the line to finish first in a 40m showdown with six of his teammates and Beijing Olympics 100m hurdles silver-medal winner Sally McLellan at the University of Queensland.
McLellan, a huge fan of the Broncos, said she hoped the likes of Yow Yeh would stick with athletics if given the chance but acknowledged that football offered more financially.
"A lot of these footballers could make the Olympic Games, possibly even medal in the future," she said.
"So it is a shame they can't stay with our sport.
"If only we had the money to do that I'm sure we would. But we're just chipping away at it and hopefully some people will stay in it."
Yow Yeh said he "ran a bit" at high school where he was clocked at 11 seconds flat for the 100m.
"But there were some quicker kids at school," he said. The Brisbane Norths junior scored 26 tries for the Broncos under-20s this year, including two in the 28-24 grand final loss to Canberra.
He has not been named in the Broncos' top 25 but is rated a strong chance to make his NRL debut in 2009. "I would love to play outside either Justin Hodges or Israel Folau," Yow Yeh said.
"I've just got to put on a bit of weight and train hard.
"My pop said Kevin was a good player and fast and said I play a bit like him."
Yow Yeh's teammates ensured he came back down to earth yesterday by telling him he "only beat a girl".
"She got silver in the Olympics so I went all right," he fired back.
McLellan said she did not expect to beat the footballers because she had not done many speed sessions since the Olympics.
She said the improved form of 18-year-old Canberra athlete Melissa Breen meant Australia should be looking to field a 4x100m sprint team for the world titles in Berlin in 2009.
"That would be excellent and it would really prove the selectors wrong . . . that white girls can sprint," McLellan said.
"Obviously I can. I'm still a sprinter."
There's little doubt it would have been a whole new ball game if yesterday's Broncos event had been a hurdles race.
"I was just happy to be out there having a run and having a bit of fun," McLellan said.
Bronco's Media Release (From Courier Mail)
23rd Dec 2008
The respected member of the winger's family played in a Sydney grand final with Balmain in 1966.
Yesterday, on his 19th birthday, Yow Yeh sprinted across the line to finish first in a 40m showdown with six of his teammates and Beijing Olympics 100m hurdles silver-medal winner Sally McLellan at the University of Queensland.
Bronco's Jharal Yow Yeh and Olympian Sally McLellan
McLellan, a huge fan of the Broncos, said she hoped the likes of Yow Yeh would stick with athletics if given the chance but acknowledged that football offered more financially.
"A lot of these footballers could make the Olympic Games, possibly even medal in the future," she said.
"So it is a shame they can't stay with our sport.
"If only we had the money to do that I'm sure we would. But we're just chipping away at it and hopefully some people will stay in it."
Yow Yeh said he "ran a bit" at high school where he was clocked at 11 seconds flat for the 100m.
"But there were some quicker kids at school," he said. The Brisbane Norths junior scored 26 tries for the Broncos under-20s this year, including two in the 28-24 grand final loss to Canberra.
He has not been named in the Broncos' top 25 but is rated a strong chance to make his NRL debut in 2009. "I would love to play outside either Justin Hodges or Israel Folau," Yow Yeh said.
"I've just got to put on a bit of weight and train hard.
"My pop said Kevin was a good player and fast and said I play a bit like him."
Yow Yeh's teammates ensured he came back down to earth yesterday by telling him he "only beat a girl".
"She got silver in the Olympics so I went all right," he fired back.
McLellan said she did not expect to beat the footballers because she had not done many speed sessions since the Olympics.
She said the improved form of 18-year-old Canberra athlete Melissa Breen meant Australia should be looking to field a 4x100m sprint team for the world titles in Berlin in 2009.
"That would be excellent and it would really prove the selectors wrong . . . that white girls can sprint," McLellan said.
"Obviously I can. I'm still a sprinter."
There's little doubt it would have been a whole new ball game if yesterday's Broncos event had been a hurdles race.
"I was just happy to be out there having a run and having a bit of fun," McLellan said.
Bronco's Media Release (From Courier Mail)
23rd Dec 2008
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