Mickle sets sights on new javelin record

World championship silver medallist Kim Mickle will be a star attraction at the Perth Track Classic as she attempts to set a new Australian record.

Javelin star Kim Mickle hopes some boisterous home-town support will help her set a new Australian record on Saturday night when she competes at the Perth Track Classic.

Mickle's 66.6m throw in last year's world championships was enough to land her a silver medal.

The effort was just 20cm short of the Australian record of 66.8m set by Louise Currey in 2000.

Mickle hopes to surpass that mark at some point this year, before cracking the 70m barrier at the 2016 Rio Games in a bid to land a dream Olympic gold medal.

"I'm now 29, which sounds like an old fart. But funnily enough, in jav it's actually a pretty good age," Mickle said.

"I'm looking to hopefully break the (Australian) record this year and then, by Rio 2016, hopefully I'll be hitting around the 70m mark.

"That will be the gold, I'd say.

"It would be quite funny because I'm actually the smallest, lightest and probably the weakest javelin thrower in the world.

"But I've just got a nice, fast arm and I'm quite quick and dynamic."

Mickle surprised herself last week when she unleashed a 66.12m effort in her first competition of the year.

That throw has given her confidence of eclipsing Currey's national record on Saturday night.

"Get the Perth crowd behind me, good conditions and we'll see what happens," she said.

"I'm just going to let rip."

Mickle will face plenty of competition in Perth, with Victorian Kathryn Mitchell posing the biggest threat after throwing a personal best 66.1m last week.

Canberra's Kelsey-Lee Roberts, who boasts a PB of 63.72m, will also be in the hunt.

"I think Australia have got the first, second and third (biggest throws) in the world at the moment. Only the Germans have ever really surpassed that," Mickle said.

"If we can keep that going, the world is literally going to look at Australia as a dominant force in women's javelin, and that's just crazy."


2 min read

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Updated

Source: AAP


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