Newcastle’s Kurt Fearnley was named co-captain of the Australian athletics team on Tuesday with the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games just a fortnight away.
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Wheelchair-racing champion Fearnley and Olympic-gold medalist Sally Pearson have been chosen to lead the 109-strong track-and-field squad from April 4.
It comes as a record number 473 Australians, including more than a dozen from the Hunter region, were confirmed on the same day for the fifth Commonwealth Games on home soil.
“Our official team of 473 athletes will be the biggest Australian Commonwealth Games team in history,” the country’s chef de mission Steve Moneghetti said.
This effort surpasses the Australian team of 425 from Melbourne in 2006 and the 409 who wore green and gold in Glasgow four years ago.
In terms of Hunter participants Fearnley, Benn Harradine, Erin Cleaver, Cameron Crombie and Celia Sullohern are all part of the athletics contingent.
Damian Martin and Katie Ebzery will play in the national men’s and women’s basketball teams respectively, Natasha Scott and Aron Sherriff join the lawn bowls squad while Matt Dawson was announced in the men’s hockey group last week but must pass a fitness test for a recent eye injury.
Para-triathlete Lauren Parker, shooter Dan Repacholi, swimmer Meg Bailey and weightlifter Pip Malone will feature across the 12 days of competition.