I wish I had great news to report about my throw at the World Championships last week, but that would be a big/fat lie!
Unfortunately, I didn't make the final 12 in my qualifying which meant I couldn't have a throw in the final which was two days later. I don't actually know what happened... I had the best warm-up of my life out the back of the stadium (hitting around 60m just off a few steps) and when I headed out to the main arena I still felt great! I had a few extra warm-ups that didn't go out great, but I knew that I had great distances in me. The challenge in a javelin qualifying is you only have three throws to get out a big one (not the usual six).
The automatic qualifying was 62m but a 60m throw would more than likely get me through (top 12 throws make it to the final)... Having thrown over 60m over 11 times in competition and having three comps over 62m this year, I thought this was an easy task! I proudly had my extremely bright green and gold on and was ready to strut my stuff...
1st throw was horrible, totally rushed the throw (I think I tried to throw 80m and not just relaxing into it) so it only went 57ish metres. Second throw was hit hard but I missed the point of the javelin which is crucial... Foul... Last throw and I was still 100% certain that I was going to throw a big throw. I wasn't freaked out or stressed, I knew I had worked the hardest that I have ever worked in my life and that I deserved to be in this final. I ran in and once again missed the point... I couldn't believe it!!!! I was in absolute disbelief that I was 15th and didn't make the cut! It made it even harder when I found out 58m made the top 12 and that some of the girls that made it through, I had been beating them all year... I guess that's the name of the game though!
I am extremely lucky that I have a wonderful coach that can see the light at the end of the tunnel. He reminded me of how amazing this year has been and how proud he was of what we have achieved. You're a champ Grant!!!! I also had my dedicated groupies (mum, dad and boyfriend) come all the way from Perth to watch and cheer me on. To have them all there was really special for me! It was the biggest competition of my life and also the biggest let down of my life yet the first thing they said to me when I walked out of the stadium was “do you want some food and that we are so proud of you”.
Instead of feeling down, I was actually pumped to have some extra time to hang out with them all!!! I'm amazed that I can still pick out my mum's whistle in a crowd of over 50 thousand screaming people... I think every dog in the country thought they were being called at too J
I do have to say, us Aussies know how to celebrate after comp!!! I've been rooming with Dani Samuels for most of the trip and have become completely attached at the hip. When she busted out a massive three metre PB and won the women's Discus, I totally felt that I had won too!!! So that gold medal is basically mine :) When I arrived back at the Athletes Village at 11pm, I straight away went out and bought some bottles of champagne and waited for her to get back... 2am and she still wasn't back!!! Finally she rocked up on the bus so we (about 10 Aussies that had finished competing) drenched her with the bottles and screamed out Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!! (yep, at 2.30am in the street and woke EVERYONE up!!) By the time we finished celebrating, it was light outside and breakfast time....
I was absolutely stuffed the next day but as a devoted cheerer, I made sure I didn't miss a second of action. Plus it was our team captain and fellow WAIS athlete Steve Hooker's turn to compete. He almost pulled out because of a major injury so our expectations weren't huge (but I know what he is capable of!) I still can't believe what he did!!! 5.90m, one attempt, a busted leg for the win!!! Little more to be said... I had another quick run to the bottle shop at 11pm, more champagne for spraying and another wait at the athlete's village for Steve to arrive! We all (now 15 Aussies) waited out the front for him but cracked up laughing when he snuck in the back way and missed out on the big champagne spraying... So we did our Aussie, Aussie, Aussie in the hotel lobby... The other teams were amazed at how we celebrated each Australian medal :)
The Championships are over and I am still gutted about my own personal results but I still can say that I had the time of my life! Because of my great year, I've made it to the World Athletics Final in Greece on the 12th of September (only the World's top eight ranked throwers get in). Being in the top eight shows how fantastic my year has been and that the World champs was just an unlucky one for me!
I'm sitting in Dusseldorf Airport at the moment, waiting for my flight to Gateshead/England to have a chuck in the last World Grand Prix for Women's Javelin which is on Monday the 31st. Then it's time for the big World Athletics Final on the 12th of September... Time to redeem myself!!! Lastly, I have a comp in Japan on the 23rd of September... Then Home!!!!!!! Three months away from home is a hard thing to do... But thanks to my amazing groupies, coach and the entire Aussie team, it has been the trip of my life :) |
