Czech, Mate! | Brilliant Burian lands sixth-round silver

Michal Burian has adopted many mannerisms in the 11 years since migrating down under from the Czech Republic, but his sixth-round effort to climb to world silver in the javelin on Day Five of the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships proved as much as any citizenship test ever could.

Despite residing himself to the bronze medal with a 63.09m throw in the second round, Burian (VIC, Nick Baltas) saved his best for last in true Australian fashion as made famous by back-to-back able bodied world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber.

The Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist let loose on a 65.21m missile in the sixth and final round to climb his way onto the second step of the dais in the Javelin F64 – a method he would not recommend.

“I need to change the strategy. The strategy of doing it with the last throw is pretty stressful, man! It’s like déjà vu from Tokyo,” Burian said.

The Paralympic silver medallist engaged in a battle for the minor medals after India’s Sumit launched a 70.83m F64 world record in the first round, leaving Burian to bubble away in the World Championships furnace as one of another five athletes to eclipse 61m.

Fending off his rivals and eclipsing Dulan Kodithuwakku’s (Sri Lanka) best of 64.09m in the final round, Burian clinched his second consecutive global silver behind the reigning Paralympic champion Sumit.  

“It’s clear to say that he was in a class of his own today, so it was more of a fight for second place. We will try to improve that for next year, the goal is to throw further and chase that 70m mark,” Burian said.

“I definitely had more in me, I didn’t have one clean throw which is a bit of a shame. It didn’t all line up, there is definitely a little more in the tank. If it all clicks, it will go.”

Competing up a class in the 100m T34, 19-year-old Sarah Clifton-Bligh (NSW, Louise Sauvage) set a new championship record for the T33 class of 22.05 (+1.2) in Heat 1, before finishing in seventh place of the final with a 22.75 (+0.1) performance. Rosemary Little (NSW, Blanche Herbert) did not advance from the heats with a push of 25.81 (+0.9).

Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauvage) rounded a challenging day for the nation’s wheelchair racers with a time of 15.75 (+0.2) to finish in eighth place in the 100m T34 Final, bettering his 15.91 (-0.6) from the morning session. 

Better known for his middle-distance prowess, Angus Hincksman (SA, Simon Moran) raced to eighth place in the 400m T38 Final in a time of 55.34, backing up his 55.30-second performance from yesterday’s first round.

22-year-old Samuel Rizzo (VIC, Richard Colman) continued his strong form when advancing to the 1500m T54 Final with a push of 3:19.57, fast enough to advance to his second finals berth of the championships after his 10th place finish in the 5000m T54.

At his first world appearance since 2018, Rizzo has been lapping up his time in the Paris sun, with no plans of slowing down:

“We do it all again tomorrow.”

Jake Lappin (ACT, Jamie Green) dictated terms in the lead of Heat 2 when punching to the early lead, ultimately unable to fend off his swarming rivals in the final 200m as he finished eighth in 3:24.77.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 13/7/2023