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Hop, step and jumping to London
2011 was a year to remember for Australian Flame star Henry Frayne.
Beginning with a Tasmanian All-Comers record and personal best of 16.91m, more than the average length of a bus, at the Briggs Athletics Classic, Frayne continued in 2011 to place ninth at the IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR).
The 21-year-old returns to Hobart on Saturday night for the men’s triple jump at the Briggs Athletics Classic.
On the way to becoming a world championship finalist, he bettered his lifetime best to 17.04m in Barcelona (ESP) to now sit at number four on the Australian All-Time list.
Both Frayne and former Briggs winner Alwyn Jones, will be out in search of the Athletics Australia qualifier for the Olympic Games of 17.20m, a distance that only two Australians have ever attained.
Adding some international flavour to the event will be Nigerian Tosin Oke.
The African champion has a lifetime best of 17.22m and has been competing at the highest level since 1999.
Conditions are typically favourable for triple jumping at the Domain, with evidence coming from Nicole Mladenis in 2002. Her effort of 14.04m, remains the Australian record and was aided by a perfect legal wind of +2.0 m/s per second.
At 7:15pm on Saturday night, Australia’s top female triple jumpers will be hoping for similar conditions.
Headlining the women’s field will be Linda Allen, Australia’s second furthest triple jumper of all time.
With a personal best set in China last year 13.82m, Allen will have the 14m target firmly in her sights as she joins the long list of athletes searching for Olympic qualification on Saturday night.
Commonwealth Games high jump finalist Ellen Pettitt will make a rare appearance in the women’s triple jump. Pettitt, who is a surprise inclusion in the triple jump, could be a surprise packet when the girls let fly.
Local eyes will also be on TIS teenager Kaitlin Morgan. Already with multiple qualifiers for the IAAF world junior championships in the high jump, Morgan will try her hand at the hop, step and jump, with the firm intention of improving her personal best of 12.50m.
Competition gets underway at 5:30pm this Saturday, with tickets available at the gate or Centertainment.
With thanks to Richard Welsh at Athletics Tasmania
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