University campaign is no hurdle to Games
LIZ Clay’s World University Games campaign didn’t go to plan but the Gold Coast hurdler believes that experience will enhance her bid for a Commonwealth Games spot.
The 22-year-old fell ill on the eve of travelling to Taipei last month and spent the buildup to her event bedridden.
“I didn’t race that well but I learnt a lot from the experience,” she said.
“It was my first international competition and I realise that it’s very different to competing in Australia so overall yeah I’m glad I did it and I think it is a great stepping stone for Comm Games.
“I’ll be much more relaxed in the Comms village.”
With reality dawning how close the showpiece competition is to happening in the city she now calls home, Clay is desperate to represent her nation at the Gold Coast-based Games next year.
Though she has this year lowered her personal best over the 100m to 13.36 seconds – and later ran a 13.34s time that was discounted due to wind assisted conditions – she acknowledges there is more work to be done to ensure she makes the cut. She said further pace improvements are needed by the time qualification trials arrive on the Gold Coast in February.
“It ranks me fourth and they can take three, so I have got to improve by a considerable amount but yeah it’s achievable,” Clay said.
“I will just look back on my preparation for World ‘Unis’ and we say what worked, what didn’t and then the next kind of two to three months is build up and get my fitness back.
“Then come the new year we start sharpening up and it gets hot and all the comps start so it gets serious in January.”
Clay is currently hosting high-profile sprinter and best friend Ella Nelson, who is back from the United States for a month-long break before embarking on a training block.