- Hugo Russell gave the green light to compete
- Previously prohibited by Athletics Australia
- A young man born with a short -term dwarf
Athletics Australia has reversed his decision to prohibit adolescent Hugo Russell from competition because he has a form of navism.
Hugo frequents the Style Augustine’s College of Brookvale on the beaches of northern Sydney – and the race is the passion of the young.
He was born with the achondroplasia of genetic disorder, the most common form of short -boundary nanism.
A promising cross-country athlete, a new controversial rule adopted by School Sports Australia (SSA) saw Hugo forbidden to present himself to long-distance competitions.
The rule was transmitted by Athletics Australia, based on a health risk perceived for short -term people who ran long distances.
Hugo and his mother Alicia Hannan were previously blind by the change of rule.
Athletics Australia has reversed his decision to prohibit the teenager Hugo Russell from competition because he suffers from a form of nanism (photo, with the Australian cult hero Nedd Brockmann)
Hugo frequents the Style Augustine’s College of Brookvale on the beaches of northern Sydney – and the race is the passion of the young
He was born with the achondroplasia of the genetic disorder, the most common form of nanism in Rume
“It’s really sad, I see the joy that Hugo gets when he’s in competition … There is not many opportunities for disabled children to have success and it’s really sad to see this, as a mother, snatched from him,” she told Seven News.
But after a lot of lobbying behind the scenes in recent months, Athletics Australia – led by CEO Simon Hollingsworth – gave Hugo the green light to participate in future events.
Naturally, Hugo was delighted to chat with Ben Fordham of 2 GB about development.
“I’m super excited and surprised,” he said on Thursday.
“We continued to believe and press for them (Athletics Australia) to make a change.”
His mother Alicia added: “It was a lesson in life: never abandon”.
Hugo now plans to compete at the regional level with an eye on the Nationals if he qualifies – and one day, would like to compete at the Olympic level in a category of navism still to be introduced.
Last October, Hugo met the Australian cult hero Nedd Brockmann in the flesh, the couple flowing together on the athletics track at Sydney Olympic Park as well as at the school of the young in the moving stages.
