Australian record holder Mitchell Watt (Qld) has tonight won a silver medal, Australia’s first at the 2011 IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR), in the men’s long jump.

 

Joined in field action by teammate Kim Mickle (WA), who finished sixth with a 61.96m throw in the women’s javelin final, Watt soared 8.33m (+0.4) to finish second behind American Dwight Phillips (8.45m, 0.0).

 

Opening with a foul, Watt leapt to his medal winning performance in round two before running through in the third round, a 7.79m (-0.1) leap in round four, a penultimate round foul and an 8.06m (+0.6) jump to close his campaign.

 

The silver medal tonight caps off a big year for Watt, who prior to arriving inDaegu laid claim to the four biggest jumps of the year, an unbeaten 2011 Samsung Diamond League resume, his first Australian title with a then season best 8.44m jump and a new Australian record of 8.54m.

 

Watt said: “My first jump was big but it was unfortunately a foul, and I think that I needed to nail that to win here tonight. My calf cramped up in the warm up and I couldn’t get rid of it so that’s why I needed something early but it wasn’t to be.

 

“I am really glad that Dwight won instead of me – he’s a superstar of our event.”

 

Watt’s performance sees the 23-year-old join Theo Bruce (1948), Gary Honey (1984) and Jai Taurima (2000) as one of only four Australians to win a silver medal at either the Olympic Games or world championships in the men’s long jump.

 

It improves on his bronze medal winning performance at the 2009 world championships in Berlin (GER), and ensures that the Queenslander has delivered a medal at every major championships he has competed - 2009 IAAF world championships (bronze), 2010 IAAF world indoor championships (bronze) and 2011 IAAF world championships (silver).

 

Phillips now becomes a four-time world champion in the event (2003, 2005, 2009, 2011), while the bronze medal was won by Ngonidzashe Makusha (8.29m, -0.3) of Zimbabwe.

 

Mickle, who at the Commonwealth Games last year won a silver medal, began her campaign in the final with 59.33m before following it up with 57.07m and 60.87m to sit within the top-eight at the half-way mark of competition and secure three more throws.

 

Fouling in round four, Mickle backed up with 61.96m in the penultimate round, her best throw ever at a major championships, before closing with 61.33m to sit sixth at the conclusion of competition.

 

Mickle said: “Oh man that was amazing, I can’t believe how strong the competition was and that for sure lifted me out there tonight.”

 

“The throw is an Olympic qualifier too which is awesome, so now I can prepare really well for the Australian domestic season after a good result here and build towards London next year – onwards and upwards!”

 

Arguably the strongest women’s javelin final in world championships history, the event was won by Russian Maria Abakumova. She threw a world lead and championship record of 71.99m to steal the gold in the fifth round from Czech athlete Barbora Spotakova, who threw a then world lead mark and season best of 71.58m one throw earlier for silver.

 

Athletics Australia