Stevens qualifies for Tokyo, while Gikas steps up over 400m

1 December 2019

Stevens qualifies for Tokyo, while Gikas steps up over 400m

With less than nine months to the Tokyo Olympics, performances stepped-up at meet six of the Treloar Shield in Sydney yesterday. In her first competition for 14 months, Commonwealth Games discus gold medallists Dani Stevens nailed her Tokyo qualifier in her first competition back, while on the track, 20-year-old John Gikas stunned with a 45.87 clocking in the 400m.

It was just an interclub competition, but for three-time Olympian discus thrower Dani Stevens (WES) it would be an important start for her Tokyo 2020 campaign. She needed to exceed 63.50m – a distance she had achieved on more than 30 occasions in her career.

“I was pretty nervous coming into this as I haven’t competed in 14 months, but really happy I had two 65s and a 64 (metres) throws so really happy with the series at this point of the season,” Stevens said of performance where her series of discus throws were 60.78m, 64.23m, 65.93m and 65.23m - easily surpassing the Olympic standard.

“Getting this qualifier has been a very big tick off my list.”

After winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in April 2018, she only competed twice more in 2018 and was making her 2019 debut yesterday.

“I started training specifically for Tokyo in July/August (2019), because I had to do a very big rehad block with my back.”

The injury forced Stevens out of Doha which would have been her seventh consecutive world championships

“It was hard to miss a championship due to injury, I haven’t done that ever, so I’m really happy with where I am at the moment. I feel very refreshed mentally not having gone to Doha and not competing in 14 months. I think it has done me the world of good. I’m stronger than ever in my back and torso. That sort of showed today as we haven’t really touched any speed work so to throw just under 66 metres I’m really happy.”

Stevens has a strong record at the world championships, gold in 2009 and silver in 2017.

“It was hard to watch (the Doha world championships) at the start I just wanted it to be over, but at the end of the discus I thought – okay done that season’s finished and we are moving on to Tokyo.”

At the Rio Olympics, Stevens missed a medal by just 44cm and has stated previously there is unfinished business at the Olympics.

Her coach from childhood, Denis Knowles, was very pleased with her start to her Tokyo 2020 campaign.

“The job today was to come out and try and get the qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, which she did on three out of four throws, a shame she didn’t get six attempts as I thought there was an even bigger throw there,” said Knowles

“She is technical in better shape than nine months before London (2012 Olympics) and the Commonwealth Games (2018), so it is looking very promising.”

John Gikas

Though his short career in athletics, John Gikas (UNSW) has shown grimaces of brilliance. In 2016 aged 17, he clocked a 10.37 100m with an illegal wind of just 2.4m/s. In January 2018 he ran 20.43 for 200m again with an illegal wind of 3.1m/s, but he did defeat Olympian Alex Hartmann. Gikas’ time was the fastest junior time (all wind conditions) ever was also the fastest by a senior athlete for 12 years. In October he ran his first serious 400m clocking 48.26 on debut, but yesterday in Sydney he destroyed his PB, clocking 45.87 – just the second fastest Australian for seven years, behind training partner, Steven Solomon, in the Penny Gillies squad.

The modest University student was taking a measured approach to his breakthrough performance.

“It was an encouraging run. I felt good and I pulled up well but it’s a long season. So right now we’re just focused on the next run one step at a time,” he said.

A number of athletes were having their final hit out ahead the Australian All Schools being held in Perth next week. Newcastle’s Luke Young (NEW) easily won the 1500m in 3:51.10, similarly, Wagga Wagga’s Godfrey Okerenyang won the 100m in a PB 10.69 (-0.2). Also setting a PB was triple jumper Ryan Marshall (SYP) reaching 14.96m. Discus throwers Ashly Blackstock and Sally Shokry (BAN) enjoyed competing alongside Dani Stevens nailing distances of 48.32m and 46.59m respectively.

There was also a quick 400m of 53.67 by world championships relay runner Rebecca Bennett (SYU) and teenager high jumper Zachary Hayward (CHE) was just shy of his PB 2.11m with second attempt clearance at 2.10m.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: John Gikas competing at the State Relays last week. (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)