A Golden State of Mind | Barber’s Quest for Historic Three-Peat

Home | news | A Golden State of Mind | Barber’s Quest for Historic Three-Peat

There have been golden moments aplenty in Australian athletics history but few in recent years have left an impression like Kelsey-Lee Barber’s back-to-back victory at the World Athletics Championships.

It had been three-long years since grabbing gold in Doha, but on her third-round attempt in Eugene, the Olympic bronze medallist conjured up a monster throw of 66.91m, leaving her competitors to settle in the dust. In that moment, Barber cemented herself in athletics folklore, becoming the world’s first woman to successfully defend her javelin crown.

In an event that comes down to centimetres, what separated the champion from her elite counterparts was her mindset; a trait that has allowed Barber to stamp her authority as a big-time performer.

“For me, there are a few key parts to it and first is the self-belief that comes with wanting to go after a goal and fully believing that’s achievable,” the 31-year-old said.

“There’s obviously the training element but the big one for me that has really helped me lift is the mental side of it.”

Conceding that her competitive edge has taken years to mature, Barber said that cutting the strings on control and being present has allowed her to soar in the moments that have mattered most.

“It’s about being free as possible to deliver the javelin, and deliver it the way I know I can and let it fly,” Barber said.

“There’s pieces to that. I use mental imagery, such as being able to see myself, hear the crowd,  feel the atmosphere and feel the nervous energy that comes from being there, and familiarise myself with it.

“A lot of it is about understanding, labelling and finding a vocabulary for my emotions. That was a big part of my development over the years and being able to understand and acknowledge what I was feeling in certain moments and building a skillset to understand how to work with that.”

Then there is mindfulness; requiring one to be fully present, and a state of mind chased by millions of people around the world.

“It’s definitely a buzzword but it’s a big part of how I set up my process to compete well. Not thinking about the past and not worrying about the future or worrying about how the results may unfold,” she said.

“I try not to get stuck on one thing. That leads me to the top of the runway where that flow of mind comes in, and for me, that then flows into the body. It takes over and I’m able to let my body do my thing and throw the javelin.”

Now known as one of Australia’s great clutch performers, Barber reflects on her past experiences and leaning into her learnings as she goes for a historic three-peat.

“For me when I won gold in Oregon, I thought about how I could bring that energy on earlier into the competition, and it was like, well, why wait? I set it up as if it was a sixth-round, put a little bit of pressure on myself and went out there to throw big. I was able to recreate that sense of sixth round for me by tapping into all the same practices.

“Over the years, I have realised that there is more and more I enjoy about the pressure cooker situation. It is a major championships and I rate the World Championships as high as an Olympic Games. That’s what it means to me. I really enjoy watching the professionalism of athletes. You can tell there is this hunger and desire that they’re going to do everything in their will power to try and make it happen.

“It’s about doing it when it counts. In front of people who are watching. It’s a competition and I’m a competitor.

“When it mixes altogether, I find that to be fuel to perform. I’m here to win and want to be number one.”

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted 16/8/2023

Maurie Plant Meet - Melbourne

Spectator tickets on sale now. Join us at Lakeside Stadium March 29.
Buy Here

Adelaide Invitational

Tickets on sale now for the 2025 Adelaide Invitational.
Buy Here

Major Partners

Member Associations

Keep up to date with the latest news

Join the community

Australian Athletics acknowledges and pays respect to all traditional custodians of the lands of which we run, jump, throw, walk and roll throughout Australia. We pay respect to elders both past, present and emerging. We are committed to a positive future for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to honour their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country and recognise the role and value of culture.
Copyright © 2025 Australian Athletics. All Rights Reserved.