Jake to keep nose in front

Maintaining late speed key for sprinter

HE’S been kept from the track for much of 2020 due to competition cancellations, but that has done little to deter Jack Doran’s rise to the Olympic Games.

Now he is confident of not just qualifying for the Tokyo showcase but that he will “surprise a lot of people”.

The Townsville sprinter’s efforts throughout the pandemic have enabled him to make changes to his approach that have him on course for greater heights.

Typically a ferocious starter – one of the fastest in the country – the 20-year-old admitted his inability to close out a race with the same speed had hindered him in the past.

But even in difficult circumstances he has managed to improve in that facet, and in perfect time for qualification tournaments to begin in December.

“I’ve been fortunate enough in my short career to accrue quite a high max velocity and be one of the better starters in the country, if not globally, so I’m happy with the front end of my race,” Doran said.

“But we’ve tried to cope with that speed and redirect it better. The back end of my race has kept me down in the past, so it’s utilising the speed I’ve been able to accrue and finish races really strongly.

“It’s been hard because athletics isn’t as frequent to compete as ball sports, so we’ve really missed competition and the training can be quite tedious to get through.

“The six-month off-season has been difficult, but it’s really allowed me to hone my skills, develop physically and work on that top-end speed to carry through to the end of the race.

“I’m really excited to get out and compete and I think the work we’ve done is going to surprise a lot of people.”

Doran got his first chance to take on fellow competitors at the North Queensland Games, setting two meet records in the 100m (10.36 seconds) and 200m (21.56 seconds).

He also clocked the fastest time in the world this year in the 100-yard dash for the Hector Hogan Memorial race.

As a young athlete eager to ensure his career lasts a long time, Doran said his most likely avenue to Japan would be in the 100m, while he also holds hope for the 4x100m relay.

With international meets thrown into disarray due to the health crisis and travel restrictions, he said it appeared qualification would be more straightforward – the fastest would get the rewards, regardless of the standard of competition. The rising star said the pandemic may have put competitions on hold, but those who used the time to enhance their performances would be rewarded.

“If you can navigate the hard times the good times will come for sure,” he said.