FORMER Shoalhaven athletes Shane Rose and Adam Federici will begin their Olympic journey this week as competition begins in the Beijing Olympic Games.
Twenty-three-year-old Federici will make his Olympic debut with the Olyroos tomorrow when Australia takes on Serbia in the opening round of the football.
The former Huskisson junior is one of two goalkeepers to be selected into the Australian side who have been drawn in pool A.
Over the coming week the Olyroos will take on Serbia, Argentina and Cote d’Ivoire who have also been drawn into Pool A.
Former Berry eventing rider Shane Rose arrived in Hong Kong a little over a month ago, with the majority of the Australian Equestrian team.
His horse All Luck has settled into the Olympic stables near Sha Tin Race Course after a nine-hour flight from Australia.
“The horses travelled well and have settled in nicely,” said Brett Mace, Olympic Equestrian team section manager.
“The air-conditioned stable compound and the adjacent training areas are magnificent and will help reduce the process of acclimatisation.”
The road to Beijing was one filled with unexpected setbacks, which began with the onset of Equine Influenza in 2007.
The uncertainty of future competitions in Australia was a risk for riders who remained in Australia.
The 35-year-old considered spending his Olympic qualification campaign abroad.
However he took the chance and remained in his homeland to deal with the ramifications of the influenza, which substantially limited Rose and his horse’s training progress.
In one of the final qualification events Rose faced a further setback when his horse All Luck failed to pass the veterinary inspection and the pair were forced to withdraw from competition.
In June he was given his final chance at a place in the Olympic team, riding at a three-day event in Melbourne.
Despite the dramas Rose rode All Luck to a silver medal and he received his long awaited call up into the Australia team.
Australia has won 10 of its Olympic medals in eventing and the Aussie team of Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks, Megan Jones, Sonja Johnson and Rose are among the favourites to take out the discipline in Beijing.
Their main rivals who threaten to snatch the team’s event gold medal are Great Britain, France, Germany and the United States.
The Olympic Equestrian events begin with the eventing competition on Saturday.