Young guns to lead Gliders' London charge

The 2012 London Paralympic Games could be the tournament where two of Australian Wheelchair Basketball’s brightest young stars announce themselves to the world.

Australian Gliders star Shelley Chaplin

Australian Gliders duo Cobi Crispin and Amber Merritt have emerged as the changing face of the Women’s National Basketball Team as they strive for a fourth consecutive Paralympic Medal in London.

The past two years have seen 23-year-old Crispin emerge as one premier players in women’s wheelchair basketball, highlighted by her recent efforts at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester and the Gliders World Challenge in Sydney earlier this year.

These performances came on the back of an exceptional 2011, which saw the Victorian named Australian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball International Player of the Year.

While Crispin’s credentials are well known beyond our shores, those of Merritt are set to make big waves following her eye-catching performances in the Gliders World Challenge series.

The 19-year-old averaged 20 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the series that included a 21 point, 8 rebound showing against Gold Medal hopeful, Germany.

The exciting Youth of the Australian team is brilliantly balanced by the spread of experience in the squad led by 25-year-old captain Bridie Kean, three-time Paralympian Kylie Gauci and the ageless Amanda Carter.

Carter enters her fourth Paralympics, some 20 years after playing her part in the historic 1992 team which claimed Gold in Barcelona, Australia’s first wheelchair basketball medal.

Two more Paralympics followed for Carter in Atlanta and Sydney, where she suffered what appeared to be a career-ending elbow injury. However, some nine years later she forced her way back into the Gliders squad and was rewarded.

At age 48 Carter will compete in London hopeful of winning Gold Medals two decades apart.

The Australian Gliders open their 2012 London Paralympics campaign against Brazil in the early hours of Friday morning with tip-off at 3:30am AEST.

The Australian Gliders Pool Fixtures (All times AEST):

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