Mickle Wins Eighth National Title
Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Kim Mickle has won an eighth national javelin title and qualified for the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.
Competing at the Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, Mickle was in a class of her own, heaving 62.26m to take the title and confirm her spot on the Australian Flame team for the World Championships in August.
Despite opening her campaign with a foul, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist soon found her range, to string together a series of plus 60m efforts, the fourth of which was her winning mark that captured an eighth national title and put the London Olympian in the ranks of Australia’s greatest field athletes.
Speaking after her event, Mickle focused on her consistency throughout the domestic season as a key to her form.
“I was happy to see the A-Qualifier come up on the board but for me the consistency of my series was what was great. The first throw felt a little like a warm up but after that the series was where I wanted it to be and that gives me confidence,” Mickle said.
“The domestic season has gone as well as I would have hoped. We have been doing a lot of heavy work away from competing and that’s a positive sign. I hope to get into a couple of Diamond League events in the States later in the year, and then the World Championships will be upon us.”
WAIS pole vaulter Liz Parnov relinquished her national title to former training partner Alana Boyd. The competition didn’t reach great heights, with all competitors seemingly struggling to come to terms with conditions.
Boyd dealt best however, and claimed victory with a clearance at 4.30m. Parnov cleared 4.20m for silver, whilst fellow WAIS athletes Nina Kennedy (4.00m) in third, Emma Philippe (4.00m) in fifth and Vicky Parnov (4.00m) in sixth also competed.
In the women’s wheelchair racing events, WAIS scholarship holder Madison de Rozario was pipped for gold in the T53 200m and 400m events by fellow London Paralympian Angie Ballard, de Rozario earned silver medals in both races.
Paralympic silver medallist and WAIS scholarship holder Brad Scott competed in the men’s 400m ambulant final, finishing second behind triple Paralympic champion Evan O’Hanlon.