Australian discus record holder Benn Harradine will be joined by an equally accomplished trio of throwers on the Australian Flame team in Daegu (KOR) later this month as the 28-year-old gets set to make his second IAAF world championships appearance after winning his first major title at last year's Commonwealth Games.
 
Harradine won his fourth national crown (63.15m) and earned automatic selection to the Flame team at the AustralianAthletics Championships in April, before making his annual pilgrimage to Pottsdam (GER) for a solid block of training and competition in Europe.
 
A season best throw of 66.07m, just 38 centimetres shy of his own national record, and six podium finishes have followed, with the Victorian confident in his training to date as the main event, which begins with qualifying rounds on Monday, August 29, fast approaches.
 
“Training wise I am pretty happy after a solid few months where I have been crunching good numbers,” Harradine said.
 
“I was juggling a bit of an issue at the bottom of my calf near my achilles that was making it a little difficult to convert power to speed, but I am on top of it now and building really well.
 
“I’ve been happy about how I’ve been putting together some consistent weeks of training before heading to Daegu.”
 
An inaugural member of the Australian Flame team at the 2009 championships in Berlin (GER), Harradine unfortunately missed the final after a best throw of 61.74m. In Daegu, he hopes to rectify this and make a play for top-eight.
 
“At world champs I am just really keen to compete at a level that I know I have the potential to,” Harradinecontinued.
 
“I want to secure a spot in the last 12, and then use that as motivation for a strong back-up performance in the final and the ideal start to a big build for London next year.”
 
“The plan is to train and compete like I will be a medallist in Daegu and London – simple, splendid and fun.
 
“It’s about enjoying my throwing, and making sure that I always have a smile on my face.”
 
Harradine, who is coached by Gus Puopolo, has competed against the top three performers from the 2009 world championships - Robert Harting (GER), Piotr Malachowski (POL) and Gerd Kanter (EST) - several times this season and has more than held his own. The Commonwealth champion finished runner-up to Malachowski in Poland and has twice placed in the top-three when Harting has been throwing.
 
However, not one of the medallists from Berlin holds the world lead this year; that honour falls to Zoltan Kovago (HUN) who threw 69.50m in Budapest (HUN) at the end of last month. World champion Harting's best throw came in Halle (GER) back in May when he recorded 68.99m.
 
Harradine isn't the only Flame athlete looking to make a statement in Daegu either, with reigning world champion Dani Samuels (discus throw), Olympic finalist Jarrod Bannister (javelin throw) and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kim Mickle (javelin throw) joining him in throws events. Combined, the quartet boast two national records, two Oceania records, four Commonwealth Games medals, one Summer Universiade gold, a world title and 20 national crowns.

To read Dani Samuels' diary about her journey to Daegu and into London 2012, click here.

Athletics Australia