Boyd Sets Bar High

WAIS pole vaulter Alana Boyd set a new personal best at the Adelaide Track Classic recently after clearing 4.61m to record a third Olympic A-qualifier.

Entering the competition at 4.25m, Boyd sailed over 4.45m and 4.61m on her first attempt before stumbling at 4.66m. She was joined on the podium by world youth championships representatives Paris McCathrion (Vic, second, 3.90m) and Elizabeth Parnov (WA, third, 3.90m)

Boyd said: “It was good, I started at 4.45m then moved through to 4.61 and then 66 so 61 was a personal best. I’m happy with that, it was only one centimetre but I’ll take it as a PB. I think it shows that there are certainly bigger heights in me. It’s only my second comp of the season off a full approach so it can only get better from here.

“I love competing in hot weather, I’m originally from Queensland so I’m used to the conditions and we’ve had a heat wave in Perth so it was nice come out here and have a nice prevailing tail wind. I’ve been jumping really well in training so everything has been coming together.”

Meanwhile, in the men’s pole vault on the front straight, reigning Olympic champion Steve Hooker (WA) cleared 5.00m off of eight steps to place third overall behind winner Joel Pocklington (Vic, first 5.15m).

Hooker said: “It was a tough day today, just waiting for the wind most of the day, it swirls around a bit here. But when there was good conditions it was possible to jump high, but the little time we have to take our jumps, if you get some bad wind there’s not much you can do.

“When I had good conditions my jump was really good and when you have good conditions you move through your poles. But it’s just hard to make them work into a headwind with a short approach, there are no variables you can change to account for the wind.”

There was also good news for WAIS sprinter Ben Offereins, who claimed victory in the men’s 400m in a time of 46.16 ahead of Matt Lynch (NSW, second, 46.48) and Sean Wroe (Vic, third, 46.69)

The Australian Athletics Tour now moves to Perth on February 11, while this weekend sees Australia’s best head to Hobart for the Briggs Athletics Classic on February 4.

-Athletics Australia