Agony, ecstasy for sprint mates

JACOB Despard and his Melbourne housemate Jack Hale have experienced the highs and lows of athletics recently.

In February, Hale entered the Commonwealth Games trials as one of the favourites for the 100m only to injure his hamstring mid race, ending his chances of representing Australian in the blue riband event on the Gold Coast.

Now his previously lesser known training partner, housemate and fellow Tasmanian has shot to prominence with victory in the Stawell Gift on Monday.

Despard, 21, said the right attitude was vital to sprinting and he saw first-hand how devastating the sport could be

“You’ve got to have a short memory to be a sprinter,” Despard said.

“It hit Jack pretty hard, tearing his hamstring in that final.

“We’ve got quite a close friendship and leading into that the expectation he was putting on himself and how hard it hit him.

“He didn’t get the best media coverage after it, they were giving him a bit of a hard time about it.

“He’s up there now [on the Gold Coast] and although he won’t be in the individual 100, I think he’s stronger for it and he’ll be in the relay.”

While the two are mates now, it wasn’t always the case for the former St Virgil’s College students.

“He was a year below me and there was a bit of rivalry there,” Despard said.

“We weren’t the best of mates but over the years we’ve come to get along really well and now we have a pretty good friendship.

“Seeing the way Jack lives his life, it made me want it even more.

“He’s a full-time athlete and that’s where I want to be.”

He said the victory — in front of his mum, Kelly Parker, dad, David Despard and nan, Julie Chambers — hasn't sunk in yet and it won’t be long until he is back working full time building temporary fences in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

But the win has given him confidence to set higher goals.

“It has definitely given me a bit more belief that when I set my mind to something I can achieve it,” he said.

“I’ve got a goal to try and make a senior Australian team in the next few years.

“That is what we are setting ourselves for now.”