Athletics Australia – News – PPP tours Europe as countdown to 2012 continues

Australia’s Paralympic preparations have continued this past month as a group of athletes under the guidance of coaches Brett Jones, Tim Matthews, Brett Robinson and Iryna Dvoskina has descended on Europe for numerous competition opportunities in a climate they need to quickly acclimatise to.

With the Paralympic world set to descend on London for the 2012 Games in just over twelve months, the experience is aimed at providing a taste of what’s to come for Australia’s best athletes with a disability.

Reporting from London, athletics.com.au has today caught up with Brett Jones on the happenings of the trip.

“The trip essentially provides a chance for athletes to experience long distance travel, ongoing change, new foods and a different climate. It’s a chance for them learn the rigours of competing overseas so that when London comes around they are as prepared as we can hope,” Jones said.

“The knowledge they will learn here bodes well for the main event next year, and by establishing links within the local community I’m sure they’ll feel right at home next year.”

Travelling across Europe for near on a month, the green and gold contingent has competed in Leverkusen (GER), at the German Nationals in Singen (GER) and in Stoke Mandeville (GBR) – the home of the Paralympic Games.

“Performances to date have been pretty strong, Evan (O’Hanlon) ran a fantastic 11.11 in the T38 100m in Singen and Carlee (Beattie) at the same meet equalled her world record of 5.89m in the T46 long jump,” Jones continued.

“Jack Swift and Sam Harding also shone in Germany, with Jack PB’ing across 100m and 200m in his T44 class, while Sam ran a strong PB in the T13 800m.

“In Stoke we say Gabriel Cole dominate the first 50m of his 100 dash before fading slightly towards the end, he now knows that the second 50m is where he needs to work in the next 12 months.”

One final competition opportunity comes this weekend in Crystal Palace (GBR). Athletes are set to compete in events for athletes with a disability as part of the Aviva London Grand Prix as well as within their own program on the morning of Saturday, August 6.

“This weekend marks the end of a long trip so we are not really looking for results, the focus remains on the 2012 Australian domestic season and strong qualifying performances then for the Paralympics,” Jones said.

“That said, if the conditions are good I know Gab Cole, Evan and Simon (Patmore) can pull something out of the bag, as can Carlee in the long jump.

“Across the longer middle distances the fields are pretty strong so Michael (Roeger), Brad (Scott) and Sam should also go pretty quick but there training has been pretty tough so it will depend how they pull up from that.

“We’ve always enjoyed a pretty good battle with the Brits so I am keen to get the guys on a track here in the UK this weekend, it’s the sort of banter we love to take part in.

“They’ve been working very hard on their development and it is starting to show, their organisation structure is strong and they are a real force on home soil next year – we just need to make sure we’re ready so that we can match it!”

The trip has been the last competition opportunity before a solid base of training ahead of the Australian domestic season. A resounding success, Jones understands how invaluable the experience will be and looks forward to a bumper qualifying period at home early in the New Year.

“You can say how tough travel can be until you are blue in the face when you are on your home track and training but here they have experienced it.”

“The Paralympic Preparation Program is in good shape, we’ve got plenty of talent and will do really well in London. As coaches, we just need to make sure that our athletes are as ready as they can be, they need to be robust and able to produce great performances regardless of the distractions that will always pop up.

“Be assured that we will have a very competitive team, a team that will perform well under pressure in 2012 and hopefully carry it through until Rio in 2016.”

To view and download results from Singen and Leverkusen, please click here.

To view and download results from Stoke Mandeville, please click here.

To view and download start lists for the Aviva British Grand Prix and associated events for athletes with a disability, please click here

Athletics Australia – News