Athletics: Youngster set for shot at glory

Jacko Gill. Photo / Paul Estcourt

World junior shot put champion Jacko Gill is already renowned for his prowess in the age groups. Now he is taking on the big boys.

On Saturday, Gill heads across the Tasman to take part in the Australian Championships in Melbourne - where he will be tossing the Olympic weight (7.26kg) shot for only the third time.

Junior shot putters use a lighter shot but Gill will hurl the big lump of metal against the likes of last year's Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Australian Dale Stevenson, who recently threw a personal best of 20.05m.

Gill has been consistently over 19m in training in recent weeks.

"My aim at the Aussie champs is to go as close as possible to 20m and to maybe give Dale some close competition," Gill says.

Still only 16, Gill bettered his own New Zealand record at the recent New Zealand championships with the lighter 6kg junior shot. While disappointed with his 21.34m distance, it still easily bettered his 20.76m winning throw at last year's world junior (under-20) championships in Canada.

"I was hoping to break the world junior record of 22.73m held by German David Stohl at our nationals but I didn't click on the day," Gill says. But the precocious youngster has some lofty goals for this year. "I'll be competing in the world youth (under-18) championships in Lille, France, in early July. My aim there is to break my own world record of 23.86m for this age division and maybe get the record over 25m.

"After the youth championships there is a good chance I could be invited to compete at several major international meetings against some of the world's top senior athletes in Europe. Monte Carlo and Birmingham have been mentioned as possibilities.

"Together with my coach, Didier Poppe, we could spend a couple of months in Europe in July and August. I want to go up against the world's best but it depends on how far I can throw the senior weight shot between now and then. If I can hit 20m or better it should get me into some of the high-profile European meetings."