Mickle Claims Diamond League Silver

Western Australian Institute of Sport javelin thrower Kim Mickle claimed a silver medal at the opening meet of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League in Doha, Qatar on Friday with a final round throw of 65.36m.

Mickle produced the fifth-best performance of her career in Doha, with all five of her legal throws bettering the Commonwealth Games ‘A Standard’.

The 29-year-old WAIS athlete opened the competition with a throw of 60.33m to be in second place behind the 64.78m effort of Martina Ratej of Slovenia at the end of Round One. The current national champion improved to 64.05m in the second round but still trailed the Slovenia’s first round effort.

Mickle fouled her third attempt while Ratej extended her lead with a hurl of 65.48m. The Australian registered 62.20m in round four but dropped to third position in the competition after South African and current Commonwealth champion Sunette Viljoen threw 64.23m.

The Australian remained in third place after the penultimate round, with her fifth attempt of 63.67m unable to make up ground. She then showed her penchant for pulling out big performances in the clutch, with her final attempt of 65.36m moving her past Viljoen into second but falling just 12cm short of Ratej’s 65.48m third round throw.

In finishing second, Mickle has earned herself two valuable Diamond Points in The Diamond Race.

The 29-year-old broke the Australian women’s javelin record at Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium earlier this year with a heave of 66.83m. She has already been selected for the Australian team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow after her 64.28m throw at the Australian Athletics Championships in April secured her ninth national title.

-AthleticsAustralia