Mickle Confirmed for Competitive Return
A large contingent of athletics’ leading ladies is set to make competitive returns to the National Athletics Series at the Adelaide Track Classic on Saturday 16 February.
Athletics Australia this week announced that Olympians; Melissa Breen (ACT, 100m, 200m), Jess Trengove (SA, 5000m), Kim Mickle (WA, javelin) and Alana Boyd (Qld, pole vault), as well as Paralympic silver medallist Carlee Beattie (Qld) and recent IAAF World Cross Country Championship selections Tasmin McMahon (SA) and Tara Palm (SA) would all be competing in Adelaide.
For WAIS athlete Mickle, the Adelaide Track Classic will mark her competitive return to javelin since last year’s Olympic Games in London.
Disappointed by her result at the Olympic Games after failing to make the final, the reigning Australian javelin champion Mickle will be keen to launch 2013 in strong fashion.
Sixth placed at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu (KOR), Mickle, who is a Commonwealth Games silver medallist and seven-time national champion, boasts a personal best of 64.12m from an event in Mannheim (GER) last June. She will also compete this domestic season at Qantas Australian Athletics Tour events in Sydney and Perth next month.
Mickle said: “I actually can’t remember the last time I had a chuck in February which is great. My body is back in the shape that I want it to be. I am training smart, haven’t had any real setbacks at this stage, and want my balanced approach to working hard and recovering well to continue.
“After a great 2012, it was so frustrating to flop in London. I’ve worked so hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen again and I am hopeful of breaking into the top-five in at the World Championships Moscow.”
The current Australian100m and 200m champion, Breen’s start launches what will be a busy few months for the 23-year-old.
Scheduled to race in the short sprints at all National Athletics Series events this summer, the Australian Flame charge will look to continue the 2012 form that saw her lower her 100m (11.27) and 200m (23.30) personal bests, as well as make her Olympic debut in the 100m.
Breen said: “My summer of training has been awesome and I am confident of big things this season. I haven’t missed a session since London, and I had my first hit out in Canberra a couple of weeks ago where I opened with 11.42.
“I’m a big advocate for the Australian season, and with that in mind I will be running everywhere this year. At this stage, I am entered for the 100m and 200m wherever I can, but realistically on a couple of occasions I may scale that back to just one race – we will just wait and see.
“In 2013, I want to make sure that I am on the plane after the Selection Trial. Chasing times last year was so stressful and I don’t want to have to experience that again. That’s why I have been working so hard, I know I can run the times and I want to make sure that I do to secure my Flame spot for Moscow early.”
After clocking a personal best of 2:13:02 in Nagoya (JPN) to earn her selection in the marathon, Trengove also made her Olympic debut in 2012.
One of Australia’s most talented road runners, Trengove will start in the 5000m at Santos Stadium for the first time since she placed third in the event at Round 1 of the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour last year.
Trengove said: “It will almost be twelve months to the day since my last 5000m, and I know that this year I am much better prepared to run on the track. January 2012 was spent at Falls Creek, where as this year I will start after having a track session in my training program for some time now. I am used to running in spikes, and getting better at track tactics and racing.
“A PB will be a good result for me, especially in front of my home crowd. If the conditions are good and the race plays out as I would like it too I expect to crack the 16-minute barrier and that will be great. I need to be brave and attack the race for that to happen, but this is what my season is about this year.
“The next couple of months are going to be very busy. I’ll run the 5000m again at the Sydney Track Classic and then at the Selection Trial, before the London and Tokyo Marathons. London and Tokyo will decide my Moscow fate. I am happy with my preparation to date, and am confident I can impress the Selectors.”
A two-time Olympic and World Championships representative, Boyd is the Australian pole vault record holder after a stunning 4.76m leap at her then home track in Perth in early 2012.
She was dominant in Australia last year, enjoying victory at four Athletics WA hosted events in Perth and at the Adelaide, Sydney and Perth Track Classics, before placing second to fellow Australian Flame athlete Liz Parnov (WAIS) at the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic.
Boyd said: “I’ve made the move back to Queensland, and it’s almost like I haven’t been away. I’ve bought a house and am so happy to have settled in with the team at the QAS (Queensland Academy of Sport).
“I’ll jump in Adelaide off a ten-step approach, which is six short of the full run-up. Building toward the Selection Trial in April is what it is about, but I am really excited to see what I can do off this run first as that will guide what I might be capable of from a full approach.
“Adelaide is a great meet and I’m looking forward to going back. Last year was the first time I’d been there since 2001, and it was at this meet last year that I started my really consistent season and I want to do the same this time around.”
The Adelaide Track Classic will be held at Santos Stadium on Saturday 16 February, with the first event commencing at 6:30pm local time (7:00pm AEDST).
– Athletics Australia