With the 2024 Paris Paralympics on the horizon, 18-year-old phenom Angus Hincksman aims to start the season strongly at the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Adelaide Invitational on February 10.
Last season, Hincksman had the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Para Athletics Championships, where he finished with bronze in the T38 1500m with a 4:05.18.
“My goal was to finish 3rd. I didn’t have a lot of expectations the season before, but I continued to improve my times and headed into the event ranked 3rd in the world and wanted to make sure that’s where I finished,” Hincksman said.
And, with one A qualifying time already in the bag for the 2024 Paralympics, Hincksman says he’s aiming to achieve a long time goal of his.
“I’m very excited at the prospect of going to the Paralympics,” Hincksman said.
“It’s been a goal of mine since I was 10 years old when I first started in para athletics and all I need now is one more A qualifier after January, and I’ll be aiming for that at the Invitational,” he said.
Hincksman, who hails from South Australia, says he revels in the opportunity to impress a local crowd.
“I’m very excited to run in front of the home crowd. I really enjoy being able to represent South Australia – it’s a tight knit community here and that makes me even prouder to be in this position,” Hincksman said.
“It’s a great event; I remember watching Michael Roeger break a record here 2 years ago and so now I want to go out there and set a record of my own,” he said.
“My preparation has been going really well and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, so that’s the goal I’ve set for myself: break a record.”
Hincksman will be running alongside fellow Aussie, Reece Langdon, who finished just ahead of Hincksman to clinch silver at the World Para Athletics Championships (4:04.30).
The pair will have the opportunity to use each other as a benchmark as they both ramp up their preparations for the Paralympics.
“It’s not very often that para athletes get the opportunity to face each other in a big event like the Invitational, so I’m looking forward to it,” Hincksman said.
“It’ll also add a nice narrative around the race and the event as a whole – having the two of us racing each other. It’s a big win for para athletics,” he said.
And Hincksman hopes to keep seeing these big wins and to build a platform for para athletics to thrive upon.
“That’s my ultimate goal as a para athlete. I’ve been competing for 8 years and the growth in that time has been massive, but there’s still room for growth and I want to champion that,” Hincksman said.
“I want to build a platform and continue to promote and raise awareness of para athletics,” he said.
“As an athletics community we have to keep educating people and continue to trend upwards.”
Hincksman, Langdon and Roeger are all confirmed to be competing at this year’s Adelaide Invitational.
Tickets are available for the event HERE.
By Athletics SA
Posted: 30/1/2023
