ZOE Addinsall is gearing up for the 2024 World Laser Run Championships in China, with the 16-yar-old selected in the Australian team.

The championships are in Zhengzhou, starting early next month, with Addinsall finding out about her selection at school.

“It was three weeks ago, mum sent me an email and I opened it in class and I didn’t know what the email was going to be about, but then I opened it, walked out of class and rang mum,” she said.

“It hasn’t really kicked in; I am quite excited to have the opportunity.

“It will be a bit nerve wrecking once I get over there and get into my race with all the bigger girls.

“The qualification was a bit different this year.

“You had to put your name on the form and your time and they looked at it and see if your time is suitable for the competition, based on last year’s times.

“Myself and a few others got selected, so we had to fill out other forms.”

Addinsall has competed in tetrathlons and is transitioning into pentathlons, of which laser run is a big part.

Focusing on the specialised discipline will see her represent Australia for the third time, having competed in Portugal and England already.

The championships will also be a chance to impress on the world stage, with the pentathlon world championships coming up later in the year.

“There is the world championships for the pentathlon in Lithuania, that is with the ninja warrior and not horse riding, and the Olympics are coming up, so I’ll be glued to the tv for that,” Addinsall said.

“I would say the pentathlon is still my priority, but the laser run is a big part of it.

“It is going to be a challenge with the change, but I just really would like to give it a crack.

“It doesn’t happen very often these opportunities, so if I get the chance to go, I will give it my best shot.

“You have to get that sorted, I have my swimming and so you need to get good at it before you start doing pentathlons overseas.”

Addinsall will compete as a bottom-age athlete in the Under-19 section and has been training hard since recovering from injury.

“I have been doing a fair bit of laser run the end of last year I did the national laser run, which I don’t normally do,” she said.

“I have been doing lots of training in Melbourne, last weekend I went down to Melbourne with my coach, who will be going to China as well.

“I have been a bit sick, and I have just moved up an age group.

“It means I run a further distance, this is my second time running this distance.

“It means I will do 5x600m, so instead of shooting first, you run a whole lap first, but I am aiming to get the best time I can get and hopefully do a PB, because it is my second time doing it.”

There won’t be much down time in China, with the 16-year-old flying out on Monday night.

“We will get over there, settle in, train and compete for three days, then I think we have to do something with the Chinese athletes at the end as well as a formal ceremony,” Addinsall said.

Returning home from boarding in Ballarat, Addinsall said family time before the trip helped her preparation and will be back again in the school holidays for a training clinic.

“I am also hosting a pentathlon training camp in Hamilton in the June school holidays, I will be running it, and I will be the mentor,” she said.