Not that any year should be based solely on the subjective selection of a sports communication staffer but there would be few that could argue that 2013 will be fondly recalled due to the heroinesque performances of javelin thrower Kim Mickle.
And despite the fact that this year stands as the first year since 2008 that no WAIS athlete has stood atop the medal dais as a senior World Champion (*2008 did of course see WAIS athletes crowned Olympic Champions), Mickle’s immortalised image of jubilation upon receiving her world championship silver strikes as resonating as any success I can recall in my time working with WAIS.
But whilst that rarefied and exultant space atop the medal podium remained unfurnished – at least from a WA perspective – the past 12 months revealed another year of excellence in Western Australian high performance sport. From junior world champions, to the resurgence of the once indomitable Hockeyroos, 2013 showed there is still plenty of talent being fostered within this state.
WAIS as a high performance training centre dovetails the various Olympic and otherwise niche sports together with the integrated target of creating champions. And whilst years that aren’t heralded by Olympic/Paralympic or Commonwealth Games can seem more so vacuous from a general public point of view, the reality of course, is that these are the formative years that mould those very champions.
January seems almost a life time ago, but it was here that the first significant news of 2013 broke. Professional road cyclist Luke Durbridge is already well known as an Orica-GreenEDGE rider and former U23 road World Champion, but his reputation took on a new lease of life after he became the first cyclist to win both the time trial and road race titles since the events were merged in the late 1990s.
As a man who draws regular comparison to Fabian Cancellara, that Durbridge won the senior time trial raised few eyebrows, the manner of his road race success in contrast certainly did. Durbridge was part of a breakaway that slowly fractured thanks in no small part to the searing summer heat of 40 plus degrees. One man did resist however, and in gutsing it out to the end, Durbridge won a unique double to go with a catalogue of new fans. His is a name that will bear regular mention in the years to come.
Having mentioned niche sports before, open water swimming is certainly one that doesn’t often create ripples, figuratively at least. Yet it is another event where WA possesses a top quality exponent. Rhys Mainstone won the national championship at the start of the year in the men’s 10km event, and whilst the boy from Broome is softly spoken and unassuming, there is a competitive mongrel element to this young man that has him earmarked at least in my opinion as a future Olympian.
Success should never be taken for granted, but such is the legacy of Darryl Benson’s track cycling program at WAIS, that hearing news of another world championship medallist tends to be further cause for celebration rather than that of surprise.
Melissa Hoskins was part of the Australian women’s teams pursuit that won silver on the boards in Minsk at this year’s Track World Championships in Belarus. The Australians were defeated by Olympic champions Great Britain, who appear set to remain as very much the team to beat towards Rio.
Scott Sunderland also contested the World Championships, but was unable to medal in the men’s team sprint and keirin. Interestingly, Sunderland has since made the decision to switch to track endurance events, with the omnium and team pursuit on the radar for the Busselton born athlete.
Kim Mickle’s first ventures into 2013 included a dominant campaign through the Australian Track Classic tour. She was largely unrivalled in domestic competition and won a record eighth national javelin title in April to qualify for August’s IAAF World Championships.
The national flatwater sprint canoeing championships were held in Perth in April, with Ramon Andersson’s WAIS squad typically performing with great distinction. There were national titles for Alana Nicholls, Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird and five athletes earned selection for the senior World Championships, which was a record best for the WAIS program.
Later that month, Stephen Bird had his boat stolen from the roof of his car, whilst house sitting for a friend. Despite the obvious police reports and the level of media attention that such a bizarre story carried, the craft was never found, although a wealth of flightless Bird puns and other poor jokes made a swift compensation. Apologies Steve!
Another of the more unusual stories to come out of 2013 was the emergence of young WA diver Maddison Keeney. Maddison is a precocious talent with a bright future ahead of her. This was evident as she led the women’s 1m springboard at the selection trials in June in which she was hoping to book her place at July’s FINA World Championships.
With victory seemingly in the bag, Keeney need only satisfactorily complete a regulation dive by her standard and ability. Fate however compelled a different story, with the teenager slipping whilst preparing to launch, earning herself a 0.0 that cost her the win and qualification in the event.
It was credit to Maddison and her support team that she was able to shake the disappointment to come out just hours later and secure World Championship selection in the women’s 3m Synchro with Queenslander Sherilyse Gowlett. In a later twist, Diving Australia afforded its discretionary licence to select Maddison in the women’s 1m springboard event, but not before young Maddie had learned a powerful lesson in concentration.
Multiple World Champion, Olympian and WAIS Athlete of the Year Cameron Meyer made history this year by becoming the first WAIS scholarship holder to earn selection for the Tour de France, when he was nominated by Orica-GreenEDGE in June.
Meyer was just the second Western Australian to compete in the Grand Tour after Henk Vogels and earned his place after excellent form in the early part of 2013 that included top ten finishes in stage races in Turkey, California and the Tour de Suisse.
The 2013 Tour de France would go on to be an exceptional one for GreenEDGE that included an historic stage win in the Team Time Trial as well two of its riders wearing the prestigious yellow jersey.
With the European summer traditionally the busiest time for our WAIS athletes competing internationally, July was jam packed with strong results.
The aforementioned Maddison Keeney competed for the first time at senior World Championship level and briefly led the women’s 1m springboard after adopting a high risk and high difficulty strategy. Keeney topped the rankings after her first two dives before a couple of minor mistakes pushed her out of the top ten. She did return an eighth place finish in the women’s 3m synchro with Gowlett.
The Australian Stingers produced a stunning campaign at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona to reach the gold medal match against hosts Spain, before settling for silver following an 8-6 loss. WAIS duo Glencora McGhie and Zoe Arancini both scored for the Australians in the defeat, with McGhie in particular outstanding throughout the tournament, with her efforts seeing her listed as a finalist for the 2013 WAIS Athlete of the Year.
Alex Hagan and Hannah Vermeersch won an U23 World Championship title after pairing with Victorians Charlotte Sutherland and Lucy Stephan to win the women’s four at the U23 titles in Austria.
Hagan and Vermeersch went onto to win bronze in the same event at the senior Rowing World Championships in South Korea, and also contested the women’s eight final. The duo’s form saw them crowned WAIS Junior Athlete of the year at the Institute’s Awards night in November.
At the Youth Sailing World Championships in Cyprus, WAIS pair Carrie Smith and Ella Clark won the women’s 420 title in their third and final attempt in youth ranks. The girls sailed a brilliant campaign, but both now face new challenges as they venture into new boat classes.
Australian Paralympians Brad Scott and Madison de Rozario earned IPC World Championship medals in France, with Scott taking silver in the men’s T37 800m and de Rozario bronze in the women’s T53 800m.
Whilst Scott and de Rozario were winning their medals there was a touching ceremony in Perth for Paralympic legend Brad Ness, with the Minister for Sport and Recreation – the Hon Terry Waldron presenting a set of replica Paralympic medals to Ness after his home in Italy had earlier in the year been burgled and his original medals stolen.
The Australian Paralympic Committee organised through the International Paralympic Committee for a replacement set to be organised, with Brad Ness – who has since relocated back to Perth – clearly overwhelmed upon the presentation. Having been lucky enough to attend the ceremony personally, it was a wonderful moment, for a thoroughly deserving bloke, who as captain has been the heartbeat of a highly successful Australian Rollers team.
Bunbury resident Lauren Reynolds recorded the best result of her young career, winning a silver medal at the 2013 BMX World Championships in New Zealand. Despite a wide gate starting position and a heavy crash that affected half the field at the first turn, Reynolds avoided the carnage to snare second place on the final stretch in one of the most thrilling events of the year.
The biggest moment for 2013 however, came from Kim Mickle, who had continued to enjoy a period of career best form that had included setting a new personal best in her preparations for the IAAF World Championships.
Even Kim however, couldn’t have expected how well she would perform in Moscow – with the 28 year old throwing three huge personal bests across the meet to win a silver medal behind Germany’s Christina Obergfoll. Mickle’s best now sits at 66.60m only just shy of the Australian record.
Kim has been supported through WAIS for a long time, and the one thing that is abundantly evident apart from her obvious talent, is just how well respected she is throughout WAIS and indeed, WA sporting circles.
If there is one defining moment that will be replayed for years to come, it will be the broad smile on Kim’s face as she approaches for her final throw, safe in the knowledge she is a world championship silver medallist, before unleashing another personal best. Knowing how stark the contrast had been post London, it stands as a very special moment for a very special athlete.
In August, WAIS saw a new generation of Junior World Champions crowned in track cycling. Tian Beckett and Sam Welsford both earned rainbow jerseys whilst fellow WA athletes Elissa Wundersitz and Kelsey Robson also netted medals. WAIS coach Clay Worthington mentored the group and such was the success of the Australian Junior group, he was awarded Cycling Australia’s top coaching gong later in the year. Again, indicative of the elite work carried out by the WAIS Cycling Program.
Kat Downie enjoyed a stellar campaign at the IPC Swimming World Championships, winning silver in the 200m IM and bronze in the 100m backstroke. The versatile Downie also finished fourth in the 100m freestyle and with her Scottish heritage, the 2012 Paralympic gold medallist must be eyeing a spot at next year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Caitlin Bassett was Australia’s top scorer in the Constellation Cup netball series with New Zealand, as Australia regained the coveted silverware and bragging rights in the last clash between the two powerhouse nations before next year’s Commonwealth Games. The gold medal match between the two rivals in Delhi was the highlight for me, with the match going to double extra time before the Silver Ferns broke Aussie hearts. If you haven’t seen it, it’s well worth a YouTube hit. An unbelievable finale.
A new home for the Western Australian Institute of Sport began excavation in October, with the facility currently due for completion in early 2015. The first key building blocks are already in place, I see first hand through WAIS, just how keen our WA athletes are to see this completed in time for the final push for the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sport of course isn’t everything, and as WAIS prepares to embark on a bold new future, one of its finest modern day athletes has called time on a decorated career, with Olympian and Hockeyroo Kobie McGurk announcing her retirement in November. Kobie was admired for the tenacious and skilled player she was, equally for her incredible drive and determination, never more evident than when she fought back from an ACL injury to regain her place in the Hockeyroos side. Always a pleasure to work with, I know she’ll be just as valued in the education system.
The tail end of 2013 coincides with the Awards season, with the WAIS Annual Dinner and the ANZ Sports Star Awards held in close conjunction. There was a strong symmetry between the events in 2013 with Kim Mickle a standout for top awards at both events, whilst her coach Grant Ward also scooped coaching honours at both evenings. Nationally – the pair also received athlete and coach gongs at Athletics Australia’s night of nights, whilst the WAIS and ANZ evenings both recognised Alex Hagan and Hannah Vermeersch as the best of the Junior crop for 2013.
December drew the curtains on another busy year with the Hockeyroos winding the clock back but in doing so ringing in an exciting dawn as they reached the final of the World League Finals in Argentina. The fight, flair and finesse were back, and although they were well beaten by a very polished Dutch outfit in the final, you get the feeling the Australian women’s hockey team is once again a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.
Swimming Australia finalised its Podium Performance Training Centres in mid December, with a Challenge Stadium consortium spearheaded by the Western Australian Institute of Sport receiving a funding boost, the only training centre in WA to do so. In conjunction with the new WAIS facility – it will hopefully see high performance swimming in this state, somewhere near where it should be.
2014, and it all starts again, this time the big focus is clear with the countdown on to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. 17 sports across 11 days. There will be new highs, inevitable lows and everything in between that makes sport the captivating spectacle that it is. Until then, have and great Christmas and Happy New Year.
Chris Abbott – WAIS Public Relations Coordinator
