Mickle Takes Silver at Paris Diamond League

WAIS javelin thrower Kim Mickle has produced a consistent display in Paris to finish second in the Diamond League event on Saturday night with a best throw of 63.80m.

In her first competitive action in Europe for 2015, Mickle carried her impressive domestic form and previous Diamond League appearance in Shanghai, with another list of efforts that easily passed the A-Qualifying standard for the World Championships in Beijing (August 22-30) that the popular West Australian secured her ticket to at March’s Australian Athletics Championships.

In a field that resembled a dress rehearsal for August’s showpiece, Mickle displayed form that suggests she is on track to defend her silver medal from the 2013 World Championships, when she threw 66.60m for second place in Moscow.

Mickle opened with a throw of 62.48m to sit behind eventual winner and reigning Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova (64.42m) who opened with a 62.62m.

The dual reigning WAIS Athlete of the Year nudged her mark by one centimetre in the second round but saw her standing slip to third, as the largely unheralded Israeli, Marharyta Dorozhon measured 62.94m.

Two fouls heaped pressure on Mickle heading in to round five, but she responded in kind with her best attempt of the night to secure a podium finish – that has seen the Australian Flame vice-captain on the medal dais at each event she’s contested since last year’s Continental Cup in Marrakesh.

Mickle was pleased with her performance on the first leg of her European tour, in a trip that will next head to Madrid before culminating in another Diamond League appearance in London.

“Rather happy with second place at the Paris Diamond League with a 63.80m throw tonight. The temp was hot which made it tricky to launch sticks far into the air but a great start to the European trip,” she told her fans via social media.

Third place went to South African Sunette Viljoen who bested Dorozhon’s mark with a fifth round throw of 63.15m.