Goodwill Games National Team Trials

The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service on July 9 will host one of the two trials to choose Canada's lifesaving team for the Goodwill Games 2001.

The local trials will be held at Rainbow Haven and Lawrencetown beaches, just outside of Dartmouth.

The other national trials session will be in Vancouver.

"We are pleased to host the trials on behalf of our National Lifesaving Team," said Paul D'Eon, director of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service.

"We are committed to developing lifesaving sport, which incorporates humanitarian skills into competition."

Lifeguards from across Canada have been invited to attend, including members of Canada's current national lifesaving team.

Lifeguards interested in taking part in the trials should consult the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service Web site at: www.nsls.ns.ca and click on "Lifesaving Sport."

For the first time, lifesaving will be one of 14 sports featured at the Goodwill Games, to be held this year in Brisbane, Australia from Aug. 29 to Sept. 9. Surf Lifesaving Australia Ltd. will organize the lifesaving event on behalf of the Goodwill Games.

The Goodwill Games are billed as the world's most prestigious invitational athletic event. Only top performers in sports such as track and field are invited to compete.

Canada qualified by placing seventh in surf lifesaving events at Rescue 2000, the World Lifesaving Championship.

National teams of five men and four women will compete in 12 events, including: the men's and women's beach sprint, the mixed board rescue, men's and women's surf race (ocean swim), men's and women board race, men's surf-ski race, men's and women's beach flags, the iron man and iron woman, and the lifesaver relay.

The Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service is a joint project of the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission and the Lifesaving Society, Nova Scotia Branch. The Lifesaving Society is the governing body for lifesaving -- a sport recognized by the International Olympic Committee.