Mickle Delivers Perth Track Classic Win
WAIS javelin thrower Kim Mickle secured a win in front of her home crowd on Saturday night at the Perth Track Classic after launching 63.37m on her third attempt.
With Olympic champions and national record holders headlining the event in the week leading in, it was still WA’s Kim Mickle that had the home crowd in full voice, after she overcame a shaky start to record another Commonwealth Games A-Qualifying standard, after producing a 63.37m effort with her third throw.
Mickle’s win comes a week after she claimed the title at the Adelaide Track Classic where she threw 66.12m, showing 2014 has all the hallmarks of being as successful as her breakthrough 2013 season, where she won silver at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Indicative of Mickle’s re-born confidence, she revealed post competition that she’d harboured hopes of breaking the Australian National record (Louise Currey 66.80m) in Perth, and that it remains a driving ambition for the remainder of the domestic season.
“I thought I had the national record tonight. I had a spectacular warm up, but I compete in one of those events where if you just miss it the javelin won’t go anywhere and tonight was a bit like that. That said, to say that 63 metres is not hitting it is a great thing and that’s probably where I should be at for this time of year. Adelaide was a big surprise and I still hit my goal tonight in terms of distance so I can’t complain,” Mickle said.
“I’ve got a big block of training for a month now, and then it’s off to Melbourne for the World Challenge. I want to replicate what I did in Adelaide there and I think I could get the national record. I want it so bad and with the girls that I have around me it is very possible. I am so thankful to have girls like Kathryn and Kelsey in the field ready to throw huge next to me.”
Kelsey-Lee Roberts (ACT) claimed second place with 61.99m whilst Mickle’s Australian Flame teammate and 2013 World Championship finalist Kathryn Mitchell took bronze with 60.42m.
In the men’s javelin – WAIS athlete Morgan Ward had a competition to remember, heaving a massive personal best in ideal conditions to finish fourth in 72.39m. The decathlete – who is concentrating on javelin in 2014 to allow hamstring and back complaints time to settle – showed that he could make significant strides in the event, no doubt further aided by the expert coaching of his father and javelin mentor Grant Ward. The competition was less fortunate for fellow WAIS athlete Cruz Hogan, who registered a best mark 69.58m on his 20th birthday.
The women’s pole vault hosted directly in front of the Stadium Grandstand in prime spectator position was again one of the feature events, with former WAIS scholarship holder Alana Boyd taking the win in a Commonwealth Games A-Qualifying standard of 4.55m.
Former Youth World Champion and current WAIS athlete Vicky Parnov was best of the local talent, clearing 4.25m in an impressive performance that captured her a Commonwealth Games B-Qualifier, whilst her sister Liz Parnov, also earned B-Qualification status after she took fourth place on countback (4.10m) from a shortened approach as she builds towards full preparation. Third place went to WAIS athlete Emma Phillipe (4.10m) with Nina Kennedy (WAIS) sixth, with a best effort of 3.95m.