13.03.2009

WA championships close curtain on Perry Lakes

This weekend's Western Australian state championships will be the final athletics event held at the historic Perry Lakes Stadium.
 
After opening in November 1962 for the VII British Empire and Commonwealth Games that saw 35 countries send 1041 athletes and officials to Perth, the curtain will close on the Western Australian home of athletics for the past 47 years.

To bid farewell to the venue, Western Australia's finest athletes will turn on two days of fierce competition.
 
Despite the absence of current Olympic champion Steve Hooker to injury, the men's pole vault will attract major interest with 2004 Olympic gold medallist Tim Mack competing against Western Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games representative Paul Burgess.
 
After throwing a personal best and world championships A qualifier of 61.4m at an interclub competition last week, Kim Mickle is all but certain to win the state javelin title and will be looking to extend the tape even further this weekend.

The women's high jump will be a highlight, with Ellen and Brittany Pettit up against Zoe Timmers, and there will be great interest in the women's 400m, with Jody Henry and Lindsey Pekin to compete after strong performances in recent meets on the east coast.
 
Nostalgic interest in the meet will centre on Randall Humich, who will be competing in his 24th consecutive discus state championships, having won the title 12 times.

For more information on this event, click here.