ATHLETICS: The Australian javelin record belongs to Kim Mickle (WA) after she threw a monster 66.83m to win at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge.
 
Eclipsing the previous mark of Louise Currey, who she met for the first time at the John Landy Lunch on Thursday, Mickle’s performance was but one of eight Commonwealth Games A-Qualifiers, with Kathryn Mitchell (Vic, javelin), Dani Samuels (NSW, discus), Sally Pearson (Qld, 100m hurdles), Josh Ralph (Vic, 800m), Jeff Riseley (Vic, 800m), Henry Frayne (Qld, long jump) and Eleanor Patterson (Vic, high jump) also staking their claim for Glasgow 2014.
 
Hitting her record-breaking mark in the third round, Mickle’s performance was in response to a 63.58m effort from Mitchell to hit the lead in the second round. Unrivalled for the remainder of competition, the performance brings to life the dream of a Little Athlete who took up the spear as a junior.
 
“I don’t feel like it has even happened, I can’t say that it’s a relief or anything like that because it doesn’t feel real, but when I get home and I look back at the tape I think I will begin to understand what I have done and how great it is,” Mickle said.
 
“I can’t believe it, it is the best thing ever. This week was surreal. I met my idol for the first time earlier in the week and then tonight had Kathryn pushing me so hard to perform well simply because she was throwing big too. It is like a script. I felt good coming here, have been working really hard, and it is so exciting that’s for sure.”
 
Both Mickle and Mitchell will next compete at the 92nd Australian Athletics Championships and Selection Trials in Melbourne (Vic) early next month.
 
Once again delivering a strong series that included three throws beyond the Commonwealth Games A-Qualifier, Samuels was a resounding winner in the women’s discus with a best mark of 63.89m.
 
Her sixth Commonwealth Games A-Standard this season, the performance adds to her two 65-metre plus throws from the Sydney Track Classic last weekend and the NSW Athletics Championships earlier this month.
 
In the men’s event, the national record holder Benn Harradine (Qld) was the best performer, with his longest effort of 63.59m a meet record and a Commonwealth Games B-Qualifier.
 
Pearson’s first of two Glasgow 2014 A-Standards was the first of the night in the women’s 100m hurdles, with her second coming as she edged out Melissa Breen (ACT, second, 11.45) to win the women’s 100m in 11.34 (w: +1.0).
 
Slightly slower than her strong 12.59 to win at the Go for 2&5 Perth Track Classic, her hurdles run of 12.83 (w: -0.2) continues a strong season for the Olympic champion that has included the IAAF World Indoor Championships silver medallist in the 60m hurdles. Both Shannon McCann (WA, second, 13.24) and Michelle Jenneke (NSW, third, 13.28) stopped the clock in Commonwealth Games B-Qualifiers in the women’s 100m hurdles.
 
Crossing second and third respectively behind Duane Solomon (USA, first, 1:45.17), Ralph (NSW, 1:45.80) and Riseley (Vic, 1:46.15) both stepped up from CommonwealthGames B-Qualifying runs in recent weeks to move into strong contention to compete at Glasgow 2014.
 
Setting up a very strong men’s 800m for the Selection Trial, with national champion Alex Rowe (Vic, fourth, 1:46.74), both were happy with how their seasons continue to progress forward.
 
“It was a great race. The pace was fast and I took my chance. I felt comfortable through the bell and pushed the back straight, I came home hard like my race plan said and it was good to get the A-Standard now before competing at theTrial in a couple of weeks,” Ralph said.
 
“I probably gave Duane a little too much at 600m and I had to fight to get back. I’m three months into a preparation that has been coming since running in London and we are slowly building which is great. I’ve shown that I still have it and can now get ready for Nationals,” Riseley added.
 
Returning to the runway for the first time in more than 18 months, Frayne’s second round Commonwealth Games A-Qualifier marks a strong return for the IAAF World Indoor Championships silver medallist from 2012.
 
Defeating junior athlete Henry Smith (Vic, second, 7.68m) and Commonwealth champion Fabrice Lapierre (NSW, third, 7.64m) in theprocess, the leap sets up a possible appearance in the men’s triple jump as well as the long jump at the 92nd Australian Athletics Championships in twoweeks time.
 
“This instills me with a bit of confidence. I suppose I never lacked it, but it was good to be back out there and competing for the first time in such a long time,” Frayne said.
 
“It’s nice to have come and done what I was hoping to do. I hit a couple of good jumps and then passed from there because I can now head to Nationals with the A-Qual under my belt and know that I just need to win to cement my spot on the team.
 
“That’s a positive sign for the triple jump. If you want to see me doing it there is a chance that it could be Nationals, but I now need to go away and have a crack at it in training and make a call from there.”
 
Patterson’s winning leap of 1.92m adds a second Commonwealth Games A-Qualifier to her 1.96m jump to win at the Australian All-Schools Championships in December. She has Glasgow 2014 in her sights, already confirming that she will bypass the IAAF World Junior Championships for a crack at the Australian team bound for theCommonwealth Games.
 
In other results:
-    Following the withdrawal of Sam Baines (Vic) with a hamstring injury, David Oliver (USA) was victorious in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.57 (w: +0.0).
-    The world champion LaShawn Merritt (USA) backed up his men’s 200m win a the Sydney Track Classic with victory in the men’s 400m in 46.22 from John Steffensen (NSW, second, 47.18) and Craig Burns (Qld, third, 47.22)
-    IAAF World Championships silver medallist Mercy Cherono (KEN) won the women’s 1500m in 4:08,57, with IAAF World Championships finalist Zoe Buckman (Vic, second, 4:09.59) and Bridey Delaney (NSW,third, 4:10.35) the next to cross in Commonwealth Games B-Qualifiers.
-    Lauren Wells (ACT), Jess Gulli (Vic), Tristan Thomas (Tas) and Ian Dewhurst (NSW) all clocked Commonwealth Games B-Qualifiers in the 400m hurdles, with the trio crossing in 57.20, 57.30, 49.84 and 50.12 respectively.
-    The world champion Eunice Sum (KEN) won the women’s 800m in 2:02.99, with up and comer Georgia Wassall (NSW) placing second in 2:03.23.
-    IAAF World Junior Championships bronze medallist Damien Birkinhead (Vic) improved his personal best in the men’s shot put to 19.31m, as IAAF World Indoor Championships silver medallist Tom Walsh (NZL) took victory with a massive throw of 21.16m, just 11 centimetres shy of the meet record.
-    Two-time Olympic champion Valerie Adams (NZL) was a clear winner in the women’s shot put, with a best mark of 19.68m in round two.
-    Joel Pocklington (Vic) soared to 5.25m, an eighth Commonwealth Games B-Qualifier, to win the men’s pole vault. He will next compete at theAustralian Athletics Championships in two weeks time.
-    Crossing in her second Commonwealth Games B-Standard time of 9:56.25, VictoriaMitchell (Vic) won the women’s 3000m steeplechase, with London Olympian Genevieve LaCaze (Qld) placing 4th in 10:14.09.

Athletics Australia