The Commonwealth Games javelin bronze medallist Hamish Peacock (Tas) and up and coming sprint sensation Jack Hale (Tas) headline entry lists for the 2015 Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart (Tas) this weekend.
Launching a summer-long series of world class athletics called the Australian Athletics Tour, the event provides starters with their first taste of the competition this domestic season ahead of the Selection Trials for the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships in March.
Peacock has already competed at the Domain Athletics Centre in 2015 and the performance was one which gives him great confidence for big things to come. Hurling a new personal best of 83.31m off a relatively short and slow approach, he is confident that his improved technique will see even further gains once his form and speed increase.
“Since the Commonwealth Games my main focus has been improving my technique whilst maintaining my strength and power levels. The priority has been getting in high quality technical sessions,” Peacock said.
“My throw earlier in the year was off a relatively limited approach but with a much improved technique, which makes me think that if I can hold that form and increase my speed I’ll throw beyond 85 metres this season.”
Peacock’s performance in the men’s javelin at Glasgow 2014 reinvigorated the fire in his belly and confirmed his aspirations to continually improve through to this year’s IAAF World Championships and the more distant goal of Rio 2016. He will compete in Newcastle (NSW), Perth (WA), Brisbane (Qld), Sydney (NSW) as part of the Australian Athletics Tour and has aspirations for even better performances on the world stage if afforded the opportunity.
“I have always strived to compete in big international meets, and I’ve now had a chance to do that at both a World Championships in 2013 and at the Commonwealth Games. Both were amazing experience. The drive and motivation for me is as high as ever and hopefully these two opportunities set me up to perform well in the next few majors,” Peacock added.
“My goals this year are to throw beyond 81 metres consistently and break the 85 metre barrier. I want to finish in the top-eight at the IAAF World Championships, and if my performances allow I’d love to get a few starts in Diamond League events to get even more exposure to those I’ll compete against at international championships.”
At the Briggs Athletics Classic, Peacock will face stiff international competition from London 2012 Olympic finalist Stuart Farquhar (NZL).
Farquhar opened his season only days ago at the Wanganui Cooks Classic, taking victory with a throw of 79.96m. He is an 11-time New Zealand champion in the javelin and internationally his career highlights include a silver medal from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and finals appearances at the Deagu (KOR) and Moscow (RUS) instalments of the IAAF World Championships.
Peacock’s Glasgow 2014 teammate and younger brother Huw Peacock (Tas) will also compete at the Briggs Athletics Classic, starting in the men’s hammer throw alongside two-time IAAF World Youth Championships medallist Matthew Denny (Qld). Damien Birkinhead(Vic) will compete in the men’s shot put, while the women’s throws will welcome Alex Hulley(NSW) in the hammer throw.
The winner of the Australian All-Schools Championships gold medal in a wind-assisted 10.13 in December, Hale’s start in the 100m provides him with his first opportunity to compete against senior athletes on the Australian Athletics Tour.
Hale is also a talented long jumper, with the 16-year-old to make his first appearance in that event at the Hunter Track Classic in Newcastle (NSW) next weekend.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Lauren Wells (ACT) will line-up alongside IAAF World Junior Championships semi-finalist Sarah Klein (NSW). Wells crossed the line fourth in the round-of-eight at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and this Australian Athletics Tour she will battle it out on track in Canberra (ACT) and Perth (WA), as well as at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge and the Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane (Qld).
The Zatopek:10 winner Brett Robinson (Vic) and national 10,000m record holder Ben StLawrence (NSW) headline the men’s 5000m, while Melissa Duncan (Vic) will start in the women’s 1500m. Details on these events are available by clicking here.
The 2015 Briggs Athletics Classic is the first of eight Australian Athletics Tour events that culminate with Tour Finals in Sydney (NSW) and Melbourne (Vic) in March. Attention then shifts to the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane (Qld), with this event doubling as the Selection Trial for the 2015 IAAF World Championships.
AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS TOUR LIVE STREAM
You can view the Australian Athletics Tour LIVE STREAM by clicking here on event day. The stream will commence at 5:45pm AEDST.
Events confirmed for inclusion in the coverage are: women’s 1500m, 400m hurdles and hammer throw, men’s 100m (3 finals), 5000m, shot put and javelin. The men’s hammer throw will be pre-recorded and replayed.
ADDITIONAL EVENT INFORMATION:
The 2015 Briggs Athletics Classic will be held at Hobart’s Domain Athletics Centre on Sunday 25 January and is the opening round of the 2015 Australian Athletics Tour. Tickets to the event will be available at the gate.
For more information on the Briggs Athletics Classic, including entry lists and the event timetable, please click here. For LIVE RESULTS on event day, please click here.
