MITCH Thompson has his sights set firmly on running his way into the 800-metre final at this year’s Australian Track and Field Championships.
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The Ballan athlete was run out in the heats at last year’s nationals when still eligible to compete as a junior.
He is determnined not have that same experience again in Brisbane in March.
Thompson is also spurred on by the disappointment of last year having missed a world junior championship qualifier by 0.33 seconds.
The 19-year-old is on the comeback trail after a shin stress fracture interrupted his preparation for the 2014-15 track season.
Thompson said the setback came at the end of the winter, putting him in a moon boot for eight weeks and ending his hopes of competing at the Zatopek meet in Melbourne in December.
He said with that ruled out, he was able to take his time to ensure that when he did return to competition he would be fully fit: “I didn’t want to rush.”
Timing wise, it could not have worked out better.
Thompson has spent his summer holidays in Ballan, away from his university studies in Melbourne.
He said it had been the perfect environment to build up his training.
As well as doing about three sessions a week in Melbourne with coach Bruce Scriven, Thompson said he had been able to build up the kilometres in his legs in favourite training locations such as the Ballarat-Skipton Rail Trail and Wombat Forest.
Thompson had his first major competitive hit-out since his injury at the Briggs Classic in Tasmania at the weekend, winning the 800-metre B event.
He said while disappointed to miss out on a berth in the 800m A race after finishing second in it last year, he was pleased with the outcome.
“I was pleased with the result. The body is fine; I’ve pulled up well.”
Thompson will have his next outing in the Athletics Australia Summer of Athletics Series at the Canberra Track Classic on February 7.
He had also entered the Hunter Track Classic to be run this Saturday, but now that he has secured a Canberra start – hopefully in the A race – will take this weekend off.
He will compete against training partner and world championship representative Alex Rowe in Canberra.
david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au
