KATHRYN Mitchell has posted a second Commonwealth Games A-qualifier in the javelin, firming her bid for a spot in the Australian Flames’ Glasgow squad.
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Mitchell threw a best of 62.58 metres with her third throw at Lakeside Stadium for the IAAF World Challenge in Melbourne on Saturday night.
The Ballarat athlete and Sportswoman of the Year again entered an exciting duel with world championship silver medallist Kim Mickle, pushing Mickle to set an Australian record of 66.83m.
Mickle also achieved this on her third throw.
It follows last month’s Adelaide Track Classic showdown when Mitchell unleashed a first round throw of 66.10m to catapult into third on the Australian all-time women’s throws.
Mickle threw four throws, bettering the Commonwealth Games A-standard (60m) that night in reply.
All three of Mitchell’s legal throws passed the A-standard on Saturday night.
This latest instalment in Melbourne is an important lead-in to the Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games selection trials at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park, in a fortnight’s time.
Mickle said the Australian record felt surreal, especially having met Louise Currey – the athlete she has now eclipsed – for the first time earlier this week, but that Mitchell helped spur her on.
“I can’t believe it. It is the best thing ever ... (I) had Kathryn pushing me so hard to perform well simply because she was throwing big too,” Mickle said.
Former Ballarat steeplechaser Victoria Mitchell continued her push for Glasgow by winning the women’s 3000m steeplechase in a B-qualifying time of nine minutes, 56.23 seconds in Melbourne ahead of New Zealander Rosa Flanagan (9:56.97).
Ballarat sprinter Joel Bee was third in the men’s 100m in a time of 10.50, just outside the B-standard of 10.23.
Distance runner Collis Birmingham ran fourth in the men’s 1500m with a time of 3:49.39 behind Kenyan James Magut (3:44.45), while fellow Ballarat Project athlete Selma Kajan (2:10.37) was eighth to Kenya’s 800m world champion Eunice Sum in the 800m.