Mickle on Track for Tour Final Victory in Perth
World discus champion Dani Samuels and WAIS Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kim Mickle find themselves in a head-to-head battle for throws division supremacy this week, with the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final set to decide who will be champion.
On the hunt for the $10,000 winner’s cheque, Samuels and Mickle head to Perth with IAAF world championships qualifiers in their sights and at their best both athletes are capable of something special.
The youngest world discus champion ever, Samuels (21 points) is the current leader.
If in Perth she reprises her IAAF Melbourne Track Classic form (first, 61.00m), the national champion will take home 13 points (10 + 3 bonus points) for a 24 point total and guarantee a minor placing. To ensure victory, however, she needs to throw further than 64.49m, with such a performance ensuring 17 points (10 + 7 bonus points) at the Tour Final and a point score total of 28.
Mickle, who to date has only thrown once, currently sits on 13 points and provides the strongest challenge to Samuels.
At the Sydney Track Classic, Mickle threw a personal best 63.82m and on her home track later this week a similar performance is likely. This would ensure a Tour Final point score of 15 (10 + 5 bonus points) taking her Australian Athletics Tour total to 28 from her two best performances.
Challenging for minor placings are Flame athletes Dale Stevenson, Gabrielle Neighbour and Simon Wardhaugh.
Stevenson currently sits in second on 20 points. At the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final he can improve this to 22 by winning the men’s shot put with a throw greater than 18.95m to etch 12 points (10 + 2 bonus points) next to his name and stake a claim for third overall.
The winner of the women’s hammer throw on every occasion domestically in 2011, Neighbour in Perth can also improve her current 19 point total to 22 by winning with a 54.84m plus throw. Standing in her way, however, is fellow Commonwealth Games representative and Australian record holder Bronwyn Eagles.
Likely to place fifth overall, Wardhaugh will look to reprise his Hunter Track Classic form (first, 68.39m) to guarantee 11 points (10 + 1 bonus point) and take his Tour total to 20.
Unable to make a play for prize money, but an exciting addition to the throws start lists is Commonwealth champion Benn Harradine.
Competing domestically for the first time this year at the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final, Harradine arrives home in Australia in blistering form having only a fortnight ago heaved an IAAF world championships qualifier of 65.60m for second at an indoor event in Sweden.
Prize money for the Australian Athletics Tour, including the throws title, is as follows:
1st – $10,000
2nd – $7000
3rd – $4000
4th – $2500
5th – $1000
6th – $500
Current standings in the race for the throws crown are as follows:
|
Athlete |
Current Ranking |
Current Points Total |
|
Dani Samuels |
1st |
21 |
|
Dale Stevenson |
2nd |
20 |
|
Gabrielle Neighbour |
3rd |
19 |
|
Simon Wardhaugh |
4th |
17 |
|
Kim Mulhall |
5th |
16 |
The Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final will be held in Perth on Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1.
Athletics Australia