Mickle to Throw in Sydney Athletics Tour
Athletes from across the country and the world have begun their migration to Sydney for the first leg of the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour this Saturday 9 March.
The number one ranked Australian meet for athlete performance according to reputable athletics website All-Athletics last year, the Sydney Track Classic in 2013 will welcome more than 30 international track and field stars, 23 Olympians, 11 Paralympians and 11 Australian Sparkfrom the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships.
From a WAIS perspective, javelin champion Kim Mickle will be the leading light, as she takes on South African great and dual Commonwealth Games champion Sunette Viljoen.
Mickle had been in some doubt for the Sydney meet after taking a fall in her run-up during a local competition meet in Perth last Friday. However, initial concerns she had sustained minor structural damage were allayed, and she will be looking to take bragging rights over the African javelin record holder.
The Sydney Track Classic boasts a feast of highlights both on the track and in the field.
In the men’s short sprints, Australian 100m and 200m champion Josh ‘the Boss’ Ross (Vic) will join IAAF World Junior Championships silver medallist Nicholas Hough (NSW) in a duel with international starters Calesio Newman (USA) and Daiki Goto (JPN), while the men’s 1500mfeatures Australian record holder Ryan Gregson (NSW), his training partner Collis Birmingham and Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis (NZL).
On track in the women’s events, the ‘Dancing Hurdler’ Michelle Jenneke (NSW) and Australian Flame Lauren Boden (ACT) will compete in the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles respectively. Jernail Hayes (USA) will join Jenneke in the sprint hurdles, while Fawn Dorr (CAN) and Jasmin Chaney (USA) are set to tackle the one-lap event.
London 2012 debutant Melissa Breen will battle it out with Toea Wisil (PNG) in the women’s 100m and 200m, and Olympic marathoner Jess Trengove (SA) will compete in the women’s 5 ,000m alongsideIAAF World Cross Country Championships selecteesSophie Barker (Vic) and Tara Palm (SA).
Olympic shot putchampion Valerie Adams (NZL) headlines action in the thrower’s circle, where she will compete against Commonwealth Games medallist Cleopatra Borel (TRI) and 2009 world discus champion Dani Samuels (NSW), who at the New South Wales Championships on the weekend improved the state shot put record to 16.87m.
“I’m really happy with where I am at the moment, training has been good and I am starting to see a big improvement in my fitness and my strength. I have been concentrating closely on the technical element of my throwing and the level of weights that I am working with in the gym are on the up,” Samuels said.
“I had a throw at the New South Wales Championships last weekend and to be honest my discus was a little off where I wanted. The conditions were really wet though and that highlighted the need to get a good throw early in any series, which is what I am working on so closely.
“I’m excited for the discus this weekend. I want to throw somewhere out near 64 metres and that will be my goal across the Australian season at every event. I’m pumped to throw against Valerie in the shot put too, she is as world-class as they come and hopefully Val and her training partner Cleopatra can push my to a PB beyond 17 metres.”
On the runway, a trio of national record holders in Steve Hooker (WA), Steve Lewis (GBR) and Brad Walker (USA) are set to soar in the men’s pole vault.
Hooker only three weeks ago returnedto competitive vaulting to win the Western Australian title, whileLewis last weekend jumped 5.71m at the European Indoor Championships and Walker has an international resume that includes major championship medals at the IAAF World and World Indoor Championships.
The Sydney Track Classic on Saturday night is the first of three Qantas Australian Athletics Tour events, with Perth (16 March) and Melbourne (6 April) to follow in the coming weeks.
– Athletics Australia