Golden girl Barber ready to launch in Canberra

Reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber will be a fan favourite when she returns to the national circuit at the Canberra Track Classic tonight.

Since that famed night in Doha, Barber has put in an immense 18 month training block which now has her ready to launch the javelin and her 2021 campaign. 

“I can say with full confidence that I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. My body is healthy, I’m strong and powerful, and I’m ready to put it all together,” she said. 

The Canberra local says the interrupted 2020 season was an opportunity to focus on improving yet again - accepting both the internal and external pressures that came with her crown. 

“I wanted to take that world championship win and ride the wave of what 2020 could have been, and reflecting on that there’s been times I have been a bit low but you always have to find the silver linings and positives,” she said. 

“For me that was an opportunity to get my body right and train through last year - I put some solid work in, which in the long run could favour me a couple of years in my career so that’s what I’m really looking forward to.” 

Barber was the first to admit that she threw an underwhelming 55.93m in her season opener at the ACT Championships in February, but leading into tonight’s competition, her mindset is simple as she attempts to “line up all the power.”  

“Be the best that you can be on that day under any given circumstance - that puts you in a powerful position,” she said. 

It’s a prospect that has Barber’s husband and coach, Mark Barber, excited for what is to come. 

“It’s competition season again - I get to see my wife compete which is my favourite thing to do,” he said.  

Barber will be challenged in Canberra by two-time NCAA champion Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre) who has been a model of consistency this season - regularly throwing either side of the 60m mark across four competitions. 

Lianna Davidson (Angus McEntyre) will also throw her hat in the ring having launched the 800gm implement out to 54.64m to elevate her to number six in Australian junior history. 

Victoria's Mackenzie Mielczarek (Steve Cain)  nailed three qualifiers in five days last week, reaching a best of 51.91m, whilst South Australian Salumi Robberts (Andrew Fraser) two weeks ago raised her PB to 51.11m to also achieve a World U20 Championships qualifier. 

In the Men’s Javelin the current World U20 champion, Townsville’s Nash Lowis (Leslye Muller) will open his season - taking on two 80 metre men in the form of Cameron McEntyre (Angus McEntyre) and Liam O’Brien (Ben Thomson). 

O’Brien and McEntyre both threw 76 metres on last weekend, but this summer have been over 81 metres. 

After Lowis was a surprise winner of the 2018 World Junior crown with a throw of 75.31m, he joined the 80 metre club in 2019 at the Oceania Championships on his home track. The rising star puts his success down to multiple factors. 

“I think all of my sessions strength and conditioning, technique and sprint sessions combined. You have to make sure you’re doing the right training - eating the right food, getting lots of rest and put in the work in,” she said. 

“I think it helped a lot to not go in with huge expectations. I feel like it’s harder to perform if you’ve got a lot of pressure on you. I just went in and had some fun and got lucky I guess.”

F38 javelin world champion from 2017, Jayden Sawyer (Mike Barber) will be looking to post a Tokyo Paralympic Games qualifier, being just centimetres short of a B qualifying standard in his last two competitions at the AIS track.

You can catch all the action live on free on Athletics Australia’s YouTube and Facebook pages. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse
Posted: 11/3/2021