Three Concordia students will be among fourteen elite level athletes to receive academic bursaries from Saputo Inc. Among those chosen is trampoline specialist and Olympic hopeful Bryan Milonja, who will be heading to Quebec City this week for a chance to qualify for next year’s Summer Olympics.
Students Milonja and Frazer Will, a 25 year-old business student and judo athlete, each received a $5,000 bursary.
Water polo player Kerry Kaukinen received $3,000 to go to her studies in Political Science. Milonja, enrolled in Concordia’s journalism program, has won a gold medal in synchronized trampoline at the World Cup held in Russia and took home bronze in individual trampoline in China this year. The St. Bruno native has participated in numerous competitions around the world since he began practicing his sport at five years old.
Since then, Milonja has gone on to qualify for his first world age-class championship at 17 years old. Now at 21, he is currently in the hunt to qualify for next year’s Olympics in Beijing. The next step for Milonja is next week in Quebec City, where the World Championships and a potential Olympic berth await.
“The world championships are held every three years. It’s the competition that determines which countries will send athletes to compete in Beijing,” he said.
Milonja will go up against other Olympic hopefuls to earn a spot at the Olympics. Should Milonja and one other Canadian finish in the top eight, then Canada will have the right to send two competitors to be among the sixteen men and women who will vie for medals next year.
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