Mickle Wins Belgium Competition

WAIS javelin thrower Kim Mickle has claimed a confidence boosting competition win in Belgium as she steps up her preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist threw 60.77m to win the KBC Night of Athletics title in Huesden.

Mickle didn’t have her most consistent night, with four of her throws registering fouls, but the sevn time national champion was still able to set a winning mark with her fourth throw, which eclipsed the efforts of Spain’s Bora Nicet (58.15m) and France’s Sephora Bissoly (53.24m).

The weekend was a busy period of international track and field, with WAIS athletes Ben Offereins and Steve Hooker both in action at the IAAF World Challenge in Madrid.

Offereins ran in the men’s 400m, finishing sixth behind European one-lap champion Kevin Borlee. Offereins’ time of 46.55sec was also bettered by his Australian 4x400m relay teammate John Steffensen, who ran equal second in 46.45.

Olympic champion Steve Hooker didn’t have the best of nights, entering competition in the men’s pole vault at 5.50m, the 29 year-old missed two attempts before raising the bar to 5.60m, where he was also unsuccessful.

Fellow WAIS pole vaulter Liz Parnov will compete this week at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Spain where the Olympic qualified vaulter will be considered among the medal favourites.