Toowoomba throwers win medals in Brisbane

ATHLETICS: Darling Downs were among the medals at the Queensland Open Athletics Championships in Brisbane at the weekend.

Lining up for the Downs Matthew Denny, Conor McLoughlin, Lara Nielsen and Ellie Bowyer produced strong performances to push their national championships and Commonwealth Games claims.

On Friday night Olympic hammer thrower Denny struck gold with victory in the men’s open discus.

Teenager Conor McLoughlin, who was making his debut in open championship territory with a 2kg discus, finished an encouraging fourth in the event.

On Saturday Denny doubled his medal tally at the championships throwing 72.65m in the men’s open hammer to claim gold

Competing in the open women’s javelin Bowyer took home silver recording a 44.69m throw.

Nielsen continued her national hammer dominance with another gold at the championships with a 65.72m effort.

Fairholme Athletics Club coach Grahame Pitt said Brisbane’s wet conditions proved testing for throwing for all the athletes.

“Throwing a discus in the wet is never ideal but both boys performed well,” Pitt said.

“Matt’s 61-plus-metre winning throw wasn’t big.

“But he beat one of his strongest competitors and it blew a few cobwebs away in

his first competition for the year.

“Conor’s effort was really pleasing in his first open comp with the 2kg disc.

“At one stage he was third and a chance for a medal before he was pipped into fourth place.