Mickle, Offereins and Parnov to Headline WA Charge at Champs

WAIS athletes Kim Mickle, Ben Offereins and Vicky Parnov will headline the WA challenge at this weekend’s 90th Australian Athletics Championships in Melbourne.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist and six-time national champion Kim Mickle will make her first domestic appearance for 2012 in Melbourne following recovery from a broken rib sustained at the World Championships in South Korea last August.

Mickle, who has a personal best of 63.83m, finished sixth in Daegu and is preparing to compete with what she describes as a better than ever training block at home in Perth.

“Training is going really well. I’m definitely geared up for Nationals, it’s my first throw this year, but the priority of course remains London,” Mickle said.

“Competition has always been the fun part for me, I love the domestic side of the sport where I travel around the country to not only compete but catch up with friends. It’s been hard not to be a part of it, the doctors and physios have almost had to tie me down, so I am excited about it that’s for sure.”

Ben Offereins will line up in the men’s 400m sprint, looking to secure a third national title. Offereins will use the Championships as a spring board for the up-coming Penn Relay Carnival in Philadelphia where he and his Australian 400m relay teammates will look to secure a berth for Australia at the London Olympics.

In the women’s pole vault, Vicky Parnov will go head to head with reigning national champion Charmaine Lucock of Queensland. Parnov has been in strong form over the domestic season and trains alongside already Olympic nominated pole vaulters Liz Parnov and Alana Boyd.

The 90thAustralian Athletics Championships will be held at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne on April 13-15.

– with Athletics Australia