WAIS Trio Berlin Bound
Three Western Australian Institute of Sport athletes have been included in Athletics Australia’s squad of 39 members for August’s IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
Javelin thrower and 2009 national champion Kim Mickle (Scarborough) along side 2008 Olympic Games pole vault athletes Steve Hooker (Subiaco) and Paul Burgess (North Perth) will represent Australia in one of the biggest squads the country has sent in recent times.
The squad was announced by AA following the 87th Australian Athletics Championships which were hosted in Brisbane last week.
With both Hooker and Burgess absent at nationals due to injury, Kim Mickle capitalised on career best form to win the women’s javelin event with a throw of 60.69m.
Athletics Australia High Performance Manager Eric Hollingworth revealed the squad would embark on the next four year cycle towards London in 2012.
“This is the start of a four-year strategy to introduce as many high performance athletes to the pressures of world class athletics,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity for our athletes to grow and grasp a chance at Olympic success. Athletes need to keep in mind that Australian team selection will get increasingly more difficult as we travel towards London.”
“To achieve Olympic dreams for London, athletes will have had to have improved over the four year journey to make sure we can guarantee successful results at the London Olympics.”
WAIS sprinter Jody Henry (Shoalwater) was pipped by the merest of margins for third in the final of the women’s 100m sprint. Henry finished fourth in a time of 11.78sec, with South Australian Alicia Wrench-Doody edging her out on 11.77sec. 2008 Olympic silver medallist, Sally McLellan (11.32sec) claimed the win ahead of ACT’s Melissa Breen (11.61sec).
Henry also competed in the final of the women’s 200m sprint, again claiming fourth in a time of 24.40sec.
WAIS hurdler Lyndsay Pekin (Duncraig) earned a bronze medal in the final of the 400m hurdles. Pekin clocked 59.70sec, behind Olympian Tamsyn Lewis (56.27sec) and Lauren Boden (56.33sec).
WAIS high jumper Ellen Pettitt (Kingsley) claimed a silver medal in the final of the women’s high jump, with a best jump of 1.84m. NSW’s Petrina Price won the event with a clearance at 1.87m, whilst Zoe Timmers (Claremont) of WAIS, finished fourth with a best effort of 1.78m.
WAIS pole vault athlete Amanda Bisk (Kenwick) finished second in the final of the women’s event, clearing 4.20m to take silver behind QAS athlete Alana Boyd (4.35m). Sisters, Vicky and Liz Parnov (South Lake) of WAIS tied for third position, both successfully clearing 4.05m. WAIS athlete Ellen Pearce (Doubleview) finished in eighth position with a best jump of 3.50m.
WAIS long jumper, Larissa Perry (Woodvale) claimed silver in her final, with a best jump of 6.12m. Perry also competed in the triple jump, securing sixth position with a best effort of 12.13m.
WAIS sprinter Chris deBoer (Shenton Park) qualified for the final of the men’s 800m finishing seventh in a time of 1:49.65min. Fellow WAIS athlete Felipe De Castro Cruz (Woodvale) finished fourth in the final of the men’s 400m hurdles final, clocking a time of 51.60min.
WAIS high jumper, Thomas Brennan (Bullcreek) finished fifth in his final, clearing 2.11m, whilst without fellow WAIS pole vaulters, Steve Hooker and Paul Burgess, Michael Leask (Dianella) no-heighted.
Steve Hooker was feted at the Athletics Australia gala awards function in Brisbane following the national championships, with the 2008 Beijing gold medallist named as the joint winner of the 2008/09 Athlete of the Year along with 100m hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan.
Hooker was also named International Athlete of the Year in recognition of his stellar campaigns in the United States, Beijing and Europe.