Sport

Epping's Jagmandip in gold medal form

24Jun08

Jagmandip Gill, 13, is a national triple jump champion.

IT IS all in the family for one rising star of the athletics world.

Epping's Jagmandip Gill has no shortage of sporting pedigree, with his mother, aunt and cousin all former Olympians.

And the 13-year-old already looks to have inherited the sporting prowess of his relatives.

Jagmandip took out gold in the triple jump at the Australian Little Athletics Championships in Nunawading earlier this year.

He won with a jump of 12.05m before taking silver in the long jump with a leap of 5.80m.

It was the latest in a long list of achievements for Jagmandip, who took up athletics three years ago.

"I decided I wanted to do athletics so my parents helped me find a coach and took me to little athletics where I started training.

"Now I train three times a week."

It followed his strong showing at the Australian All-Schools Championships in Sydney last year.

Competing for Victoria in the triple jump, he finished fifth in the final.

Jagmandip's talents are not limited to athletics, either.

He plays point guard for the Broadmeadows Broncos and said he loves basketball almost as much as athletics.

"Athletics is my favourite though," he said.

The determined youngster has no doubts about his goals for the future.

"I want to go to the Olympics.

"My mother, Manjit Kaur, was a world champion in discus and javelin.

"My aunt went to the Sydney Olympics and my cousin, Harwent Kaur, is going to Beijing.

"So I want to go to the Olympics, too."