Mickle Set for Diamond League Meet in Doha

WAIS javelin thrower Kim Mickle will make her first international appearance for 2012 on Friday night when she competes in Doha at the IAAF Diamond League meet.

In what will be only Mickle’s second competitive appearance this year following a long spell of rehabilitation that followed last year’s IAAF world championships where she competed with broken ribs to finish sixth.

The 27-year-old believes the injury may now be a blessing in disguise because it has allowed her to perfect her run up – the key to a long throw.

A testament to that was the 61.70m she heaved to win her seventh national title at the Australian Athletics Championships last month in Melbourne.

Mickle said: “I don’t actually think any of the girls know that I broke my ribs in that final apart from maybe Sunette Viljoen (RSA) because we’re friends and we Facebook a lot.

“I’m expecting most of the top eight girls to be competing in Doha, I know the world record holder Barbora Spotakova (CZE) and world champ Mariya Abakumova (RUS) are, as no-one has really had a hit out yet.

“I’ve never competed in Doha before, I’ve just seen it from the plane as I change over through Dubai but Steve Hooker has been telling me it’s an architectural dream and that the place is unreal.

“The Nationals were the first time I had a crack at my run up. That was a hit and miss competition, so to throw 61.70 when I felt out a bit out of control was just ripper.

“I’m starting to control the run up now and so I’m quietly confident that I will throw well in Doha. I haven’t got a really good throw out yet which means none of the girls will probably be looking out for me.”

Joining Mickle in Doha are fellow Australian Flame athletes Tamsyn Manou (Vic, 800m), Lauren Boden (ACT, 400m hurdles), Ryan Gregson (NSW, 1500m), Benn Harradine (Vic, discus) and fellow WAIS athlete Vicky Parnov who will compete in the women’s pole vault.

Manou and Boden will line up after recent competition in Japan, while Parnov’s return to the runway is her first since winning the Australian title with a leap of 4.20m last month. Gregson joins Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop (KEN) on the entry list for the men’s 1500m and Harradine is in blistering form after a new national record of 67.53m last weekend.

– Athletics Australia