Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

An Oceanic Event To Remember

One thousand athletes, coaches, team managers, officials and administrators descended on Mackay last week for a history-making Oceania Athletics Championships after three years of hibernation due to COVID-19.

Not only did the competition include the inaugural Under-16 team challenge, in a world first for International Athletics Competitions, Para Athletes competed for Oceania Championships Medals at the same time at the same venue, and for the first time in the event’s history masters age groups were included in an invitational. Also, an Education Hub in partnership with the Oceania Athletics Coaches Association (OACA) was included for the first time.

The hub's purpose was to build the capacity and capabilities of all stakeholders so they could share their learnings when they return to their countries and local athletic clubs.

A highlight of both the Educational Hub and the competition in general was having Dame Valerie Adams, five-time Olympian and dual Gold Medallist, co-deliver the sessions and speak of her journey as an athlete.

She encouraged participants to think about who is on their "bus" and whether those people are enabling the bus to move forward. Dame Valerie also urged athletes to enjoy what they do and take responsibility for their motivation and performance on the field.

OACA event organisers and athletes also visited Mackay Regional Council’s Natural Environment Centre to pick and donate 300 plants for the Mackay community.

The hundreds of plants will remain in the care of council’s Parks and Environment team until National Tree Day on July 31, when they will be planted along the Cathy Freeman Walk as part of the Bluewater Trail.

Over five days of competition, with 19 nations in attendance, the success stories were plentiful, with multiple records broken and a plethora of heartwarming stories emerging.

Mackenzie Little maintained her edge over javelin world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber. Barber will be the defending champion at the World Athletics Championships next month and was also the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

Barber said in a post on Instagram “I feel a little like a broken record after my comps this season. The throw didn’t quite come together, the timing was just a little off, I know I have more metres in me. Well, I still believe it, and I will take the next opportunity to try and show it.”

New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs set an Oceanian 100m record in 11.09 seconds, smashing the record she set in Townsville in 2019 by nearly half a second.

One of the tales that brought a tear of joy to the eye was that of couple Maurice and Christiane Dauphinet, 96 and 91-years-old respectively and still competing in a multitude of events each. Christiane competed in the 60m, 100m, 200m and 400m while Maurice threw in the shot put, discus, hammer and javelin. Both Christiane and Maurice won four gold medals each.

There was also 72-year-old Wilma Perkins and 77-year-old David Anstiss who competed in the pole vault and 79-year-old Lorraine Birtwell who toughed it in the weight throw.

Local stars also shone, especially in the masters where a strong group of Mackay athletes put their best feet forward to run, jump and throw their way to victory.

Speedster Mikayla Webb representing Regional Australia made the final in both the 100m and 200m sprints. She came fifth in the U18 100m, qualifying fifth fastest in 12.18 seconds and then crossing fifth in the final in a time of 12.25. In the 200m she qualified fourth in 25.37m, then ran a blistering 25.04 in the final to come third.

Kayce Hoani-Vincent came fifth in the U18 pole vault, clearing 2.50m.

Dame Val: OACA event ambassadors including New Zealand’s Dame Valerie Adams chose 300 plants to be planted in July along the Cathy Freeman Walk. Photo credit: Mackay Regional Council

96-year-old Maurice and 91-year-old Christiane Dauphinet won four gold medals each in the masters division of the Oceania Championships. Photo credit: Oceania Athletics

Mackay masters athlete Justin Rule won gold in the steeplechase

Mackay athletes filled the podium in the W40 discus, with Amanda Wright winning gold, Cathryn Hoare taking silver and Kristie Brown claiming bronze

Fan favourite Kelsey-Lee Barber came third in the women’s javelin

In other news