Hammerfest Comes to Hobart
01 Feb 2012
Australia’s annual festival of hammer throwing will culminate with competition at the Briggs Athletics Classic this weekend, as Tasmania plays host to the third edition of the Hammerfest.
Co-hosted by Athletics Australia, Athletics Tasmania, the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Track & Field Coaches Association (ATFCA), the Tasmanian Institute of Sport and UTAS, Hammerfest is a five-day program that brings together Australia’s best for training and development programs aimed at growing the sport across the country.
Evan Peacock, President of the Tasmanian ATFCA said: “Hammer throwers are some of the strongest and most powerful athletes in the sporting world.”
“They can throw their implement, which weighs the same as 45 cricket balls in the men’s event, over 85 metres. The release speed is more than 100 kilometres per hour and that speed is generated in a circle only seven foot wide.”
Lining up in Hobart are Australian Flame and 2010 Commonwealth Games representatives Gabrielle Neighbour and Tim Driesen, as well as retired Olympians Karyne Di Marco and Debbie Sosimenko.
Local juniors including Target Talent Program athlete Danielle McConnell, national under 17 champion Mikki Genge and multiple national underage medalists Huw Peacock, Sam Alderson and Rebecca Direen are also set to benefit from the activities undertaken.
Eric Hollingsworth, Athletics Australia High Performance Manager, said: “Hammer throwing forms an integral part of our long term plan to secure international medals.
“Throwing in general is a key target area given the number of international top-eight performances of recent times. It’s a very technical event where we can succeed in the long term, particularly as a cross-over discipline.”
Michael Poulton, Athletics Australia Coaching Manager, said: “Hammerfest is a unique and very special annual event on the Australian Athletics calendar. It’s the only event that brings together coaches and athletes around a single discipline from all parts of the country to compete together and learn from each other.
“The involvement of throwers of all levels provides an inspiring environment for training, competition and learning and will enhance the performance of some of our best throwers as they work towards qualifying for the Olympics and World Junior Championships later this year.”
Peter Fortune, the Sport Performance Coordinator at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, endorses the comments: “I believe the now annual Hammerfest is a terrific initiative and is being regarded as a bench mark for other event disciplines.
“Tasmania can be proud that this event is the result of the efforts of our athletic family and plays an important role in the development of the national hammer throw program.”
The Briggs Athletics Classic is the third and final National Athletics Series meet on the 2012 Australian domestic season athletics calendar.
Tickets are on sale from Athletics Tasmania, athletics clubs or Centertainment.
