Bridging the Gap | U23 European Tour Success

From a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond, the transition from a successful junior career to the senior ranks of track and field is often a daunting one, but for a 21-strong team of Australia’s emerging Under 23 stars – a development tour of Europe in 2022 has stoked the fire for future success.

Stemming from Athletics Australia’s decision to withdraw from the now-postponed 2022 FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China due to COVID-19 concerns, the three-week tour of England and Ireland was introduced to offer international experience to those under the age of 23 who had qualified for the Games, and others who had demonstrated potential at future Olympic Games or World Championships level.

As team member Sam Hurwood (Rajeev Balakrishnan) puts it, he “wasn’t a bad junior”. The 21-year-old won his first national title in 2019 in the 110m Hurdles (U20) but is quick to concede that he was far from setting the world on fire:

“I was running at nationals and won states a few times but even then, my times weren’t too flash. I progressed to the open height and it just felt a lot better,” Hurwood says.

It’s an honest assessment of a chapter that may prove puzzling if Hurwood continues his current trajectory, rocketing to number seven on the Australian all-time list with his 13.63 (+1.7) performance at La Chaux-de-Fonds in July – having never broken 14-seconds prior to this year.

While that performance arose from Hurwood’s decision to jet overseas earlier than his Under 23 teammates, the Queenslander says the international experience gained from the tour has provided him with both the skills and belief to target future success in the green and gold:

“It’s given me a lot more confidence going into this coming season, it will be the first time I have come in with a real focus on making a World Championships team,” Hurwood says.

“Other seasons for sure it would have been nice, but I knew it the back of my mind I knew we were not quite there yet. Coming off the 13.6 it has given me confidence that we are right on the edge and that we can push it.”

The hurdler was forced to find meaning in the term flexible beyond its familiar physical sense, navigating a range of challenges off the track from meal planning to snoring teammates – ultimately enjoying the camaraderie that formed within the team.

“You are in a room with some other boys who are snoring and you might not be sleeping great, but the biggest thing I took away from it was that regardless of facilities or preparation, I know how to hurdle and I just have to race,” Hurwood says.

“Being in a team was definitely a lot more enjoyable than when I was travelling around by myself and having the support staff there was a big difference as well.”

The team competed across three competitions including the England Athletics U23 Championships, the AAI Games in Ireland, and the England Athletics Senior Championships, featuring prominently on the podium while learning to adapt to foreign factors such as overseas travel, time zones, and late-season peaking.

For Hurwood and his teammates, the trip ultimately provided a reward for their work to date and an incentive to continue progressing towards their next appearance in the green and gold:

“Even just mentally, it gave me that reward for all my work. I qualified for World University Games so having this to replace it was really good. Getting that international experience will definitely come in handy over the next few years,” Hurwood said.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 14/9/2022