Triple Threat | Boras Back on Track for 2024

Browsing the store at the 2022 World Under 20 Championships in Colombia, Tiana Boras searched for a souvenir to mark her international debut. The triple jumper can only laugh in hindsight after returning home with a medal packed safely in her bag, and her initial purchase in the hands of coach Alwyn Jones.

Draped in an Australian flag on the other side of the world at the age of 17, Boras pauses mid-answer somewhat embarrassed. ‘Who is your favourite triple jumper?’ The bronze medallist’s silence speaks volumes as the temperament of Australia’s fresh-faced star breaks through.

“I was just so zoned out. I actually do know Rojas [Yulimar], but that’s about it,” Boras says.

“That might be my New Year’s resolution, to watch more triple jump instead of Love Island all the time.”

Hardly aware of the current triple jump landscape, there is no chance Boras is going to be intimidated by its history, but her nonchalant approach is not to be mistaken for a lack of application.

“I’m kind of just doing my own thing. I’m aware of a few facts, like how Australia has never had a female triple jumper at the Olympics and how the Australian record [14.04m] is a fair bit lower than the Olympic qualifier [14.55m],” Boras says.

Boras’ international debut could hardly have gone better. The Geelong product stacked 20cm onto her personal best to claim world junior bronze and the Australian Under 18 record with a leap of 13.30m, falling just 6cm shy of the Australian Under 20 record. But where has she been since?

Largely at the Victorian Institute of Sport, building back to fitness after 16 months on the sidelines. In fact, Athletics Australia's reigning Female Junior Athlete of the Year has not competed since the day she won bronze - set to break the shackles this Saturday off a short run up at Aberfeldie.

“I actually can’t remember what the injury was, I know that sounds bad! It’s been so long, it was something to do with my foot,” Boras says.

“The time off really made me realise how much I love the sport and miss competing, and being involved in the community. It’s given me the opportunity to do a winter pre-season for the first time in two years though, so it’s been really good to build my strength.”

Under the guidance of 2006 Commonwealth Games medallist Alwyn Jones, Boras will once again target the World Under 20 Championships in August of 2024, this time to be held in Lima, Peru. Her first job will be to land the 12.90m qualifying standard ahead of the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide, but the 18-year-old with Croatian heritage concedes she is dreaming bigger than that.  

“I feel like I have just been slowly improving over the years, I have kind of hit that point where you can’t just keep doing massive jumps of improvement. This year might be a big one though, since I have had a pre-season to prepare and motivation to get the Australian Under 20 record and to next year’s World Under 20 Championships,” Boras says.

While Boras is busy increasing her attention to detail on technical elements of the event, the triple jumper simply laughs at the prospect of studying her rivals on the world stage:

“I think not knowing is such an advantage. I have no idea who is good or not, I just worry about myself and not what other people are doing. Dad will tell me which girls and jumping how far and I just have no idea.”

Boras will compete for the first time in 16 months at this weekend’s Athletics Victoria Shield League off a restricted approach.  

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 16/11/2023