Parnov and Pardy Named in Nitro Athletics Squad

Published On: 8 December 2016

Athletics Australia yesterday named Western Australian athletes Ella Pardy and Liz Parnov as members of a 42 person squad in preparation for Nitro Athletics Melbourne in February of next year.

The pair were selected by experienced Australian athletics champions Nova Peris, Tamsyn Lewis-Manou, Paul Burgess and Benita Willis.

The 42-person squad will be cut to a final 24 early next year, with the athletes able to nominate for Team Australia or the Bolt All Stars.

Nitro Athletics Melbourne takes the place of the Australian Athletics Tour (AAT) on the Athletics Australia calendar.

Following a decrease in crowd numbers and interest in the AAT, Athletics Australia developed the Nitro Athletics concept which is designed for in-stadium and broadcast audiences.

With a new team-based structure, the event will incorporate a number of unconventional aspects, such as offering comments in between the rounds of field events and wearing technology in order to provide live performance data.

Following a training incident seven months ago which saw Parnov break her right leg, preventing her from chasing Rio Olympic qualification, she has identified the Nitro Athletics to begin her road back into competing at the elite level.

“It has been a very long road back. I’m pretty much 100 percent fitness now,” Parnov said.

Parnov revealed that during her recovery she was able to work on areas which were previously weaknesses, such as her strength.

“I have improved in all of my testing. I am really excited to see what that will give me coming into my pole vaulting now.”

Fellow Western Australian squad member Ella Pardy, competed in the Rio Paralympics earlier this year where she came away with a bronze medal in the T35-38 4x100m sprint event. 

Pardy is one of two para-athletics athletes selected in the squad, the other being Australian Capital Territory athlete Scott Reardon.

Nitro Athletics Melbourne is scheduled to take place on Saturday the 4th of February, Thursday the 9th of February and Saturday the 11th of February where Team Australia will take on Japan, China, England, New Zealand and the Bolt All Stars, led by none other than Usain Bolt.