Winds of Change in Ramona

I have been reading some mixed reports and opinions on the results coming out of "Throws Town" Ramona over the past weeks and decided to share some perspectives and thoughts to keep the discussion hearty...

75m never looked so pretty

It is WILD to see so many great performances coming out of this arena, in what could be likened to the "Field of Dreams" feeling from the 1989 baseball classic starring Kevin Costner. "If you build it, they will come"

Here are some pointers I thought could be valuable for background:

• World Athletics has a ranking system for championship qualification that has its challenges. Athletes who are not at the level of throwing the championship standards have to collect points and travel all over the world to do so. This is an expensive venture, and not everyone has the financial backing to do this.

• Access to ranking point competitions is not as simple as "enter and show up" You need an agent who negotiates your participation, and more often than not, the competitions with the highest ranking points are full with the "best throwers"

This leaves throwers with a few options:

• Either they invest in a month or so of competitions in prime conditions and try to throw a championship standard.

• They invest in flying around the world to try and gain selection using the point system

• They do nothing

"Throws Town" was developed from a need. Throwers, in particular discus throwers, can go and try to throw a PB, qualify for a championships, be inspired and have fun. It is not illegal, and, rationally, it appears to be a better investment than pouring money into the very unlikely method of being selected through points.

Long throws only!

For those at the higher end of the spectrum of results - Alekna, Denny and our newly crowned 70m colleagues- it's also a way to get paid bonus money. Maybe that could mean another 4 years in the sport, some superannuation, or a downpayment on a house!

I must admit that these performances will not be without consequence. The standard is being driven up to levels never seen before, and for many, there is the potential to gain a false sense of security that may cause problems when throwing in a stadium. This, combined with media expectations, can be tricky to navigate mentally. Those who throw far in all conditions are the ones who usually take home the hardware, but it all truly depends on how each individual defines success for themselves.

The second impact I foresee is the qualification standard for championships becoming increasingly more difficult to achieve. These huge results will likely skew the standards and, in turn, put increased pressure on athletes to throw to a level that is often not achieved inside stadiums at championship meets.

Nevertheless, seeing the discus fly further and further is truly fantastic, and I am, without a doubt, excited to see how far it progresses. (I also have to say that I have some Bias - as Matt is an Aussie, and we love to see Aussies doing well!)

Have your say!

Windy Conditions

• I'm all about it
• I'm skeptical
• It's gonna hurt the sport later
• Great for more coverage of throws

Thanks for reading!

Benn Harradine - HP