Hopes very high for Australian success at world titles
John Salvado |
A core group of medallists from the Paris Olympics and a generational cohort of teenagers who lit up last year’s world juniors has Australia well placed to make a major mark at the world athletics championships in Tokyo.
There’s no denying that the absence through injury of gold-medal contenders Nina Kennedy and Jemima Montag are major blows.
In days gone by, that could have been a hammer blow for an Australian squad at a global championships.
But such is the strength in depth now – both at the top end and in generation next – that hopes remain high for a significant medal haul, despite the big-name absentees.
Paris Olympics 1500m silver medallist Jessica Hull is one of 22 Australians in action on day one of the championships on Saturday.
She was pipped at the line in heart-breaking fashion at last month’s Diamond League final, but is every chance to again challenge for a podium position in the Japanese capital.
In the enforced absence of reigning Olympic and world pole vault champ Kennedy, the mantle of Australia’s best gold-medal shot falls to Nicola Olyslagers.
Having won gold at the world indoors and the Diamond League final this year, a very good case can be made for the NSW high jumper to be the title favourite ahead of the great Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
Discus titan Matthew Denny and Olyslagers’ great domestic rival Eleanor Patterson are other Paris Olympians well placed to figure on the podium again in Tokyo.
And then there’s the next crop.
Schoolboy sprint sensation Gout Gout has understandably grabbed the bulk of the headlines, drawing comparisons to the legendary Usain Bolt in his junior days.
At 17, Gout is the youngest entrant in the men’s 200m, where he is a legitimate shot at snaring a berth in the final.
Gout is only one of eight Australian medallists from last year’s world junior championships in Peru who have graduated to the senior team just 12 months later.
The sky’s the limit for middle-distance trio Claudia Hollingsworth, Cameron Myers and Peyton Craig.
And what about the multi-talented Delta Amidzovski, who bettered the great Sally Pearson’s Australian under-18 100m hurdles record two years ago?
Amidzovski won’t even be contesting the 100m hurdles in Tokyo, preferring instead to focus on the long jump, where she is the reigning junior world champ.
“We’ve got a really experienced group in Tokyo who have had a fantastic three or four years and are still at the peak of their powers,” said Australian Athletics high performance boss Andrew Faichney.
“And then we’ve got that group of really extraordinary youngsters coming through.
“It’s such an exciting time for the sport in Australia.”
AAP
