Aust long jumpers star with Rio qualifiers

A quarter-life crisis has put Chelsea Jaensch in line to join Brooke Stratton as the first pair of Australian women long jumpers at an Olympics since 1984.

Most people would probably just brush off a quarter-life crisis.

But not Chelsea Jaensch.

She quit her full-time job as a radiographer and moved interstate to return to athletics after a decade away.

And it's paid off, with the 31-year-old qualifying for the Rio Olympics in the women's long jump.

Jaensch matched the standard of 6.70m at the Canberra Track Classic on Saturday, joining Brooke Stratton who smashed the mark with a new personal best of 6.94m to move to second on Australia's all-time list.

Stratton's jump would have earned her a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

While Jaensch considered her jump "ugly", it was 3cm better than her previous PB and gives Australia the chance to have more than one starter in the event at an Olympics since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Jaensch used to contest heptathlons as a junior, but gave it up in 2002.

She only returned to the runway in 2011, after what she labelled a "mid-20s crisis".

"I just needed to find something I enjoyed again, I was working a bit too much," she said.

"Athletics was it for me. I loved what I did in the pit and wanted to learn more about it."

She moved from Adelaide to Brisbane, first working with Australia's all-time long jump record-holder - and the only one to crack 7m - Bronwyn Thompson and then renowned coach Gary Bourne.

"I think I'm a third-year apprentice under Gary now," she laughed.

"Kudos to him for taking a little bit of a chance on an older athlete and getting me to where I want to go.

"Rio and beyond will be great. Comm Games even, I reckon - I'll be 33. Let's do it."

Jaensch missed selection for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games but it only served as motivation.

As have Stratton's ever-improving jumps.

The pair have regularly been working with each other under Bourne.

"Brooke's been very inspiring to compete with," said Jaensch.

"Every year she steps it up another notch and is very level-headed on the track.

"Pulling out those performances really lifts all of us and makes us a) want to be competitive, but b) know that we can get a lot more out of ourselves."

Stratton will next month head to the US for her first world indoor championships, in the hope of closing in on the 7m mark against a competitive field in the lead up to Rio.

"Anything can happen - it only takes one jump," she said.

"I'm definitely putting myself in good contention."


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world