Hammer throw gold ‘out of this world’
GOLD COAST: Hamilton hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe has described her shock at the realisation she could win a gold medal as she watched the big throwers foul out of the Commonwealth Games competition.
Until two months ago, the 24yearold Glasgow silver medallist was not even sure she would be in Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, where on Tuesday night she went one better — her 69.94m heave well clear of second place.
It was ‘‘out of this world’’, she said.
The top seeds, Jillian Weir of Canada and England’s Sophie Hitchon, fouled their three attempts and were disqualified.
‘‘In the warmups I was really freaking out, because — I don’t know what I was doing. . . I’ve been doing a heel turn all season because that was something new, but for some reason in the warmups I decided to try toe turns and I didn’t realise till two throws in,’’ Ratcliffe said.
‘‘It was pretty shocking to see Jillian Weir and Sophie Hitchon foul out, both awesome throwers so that was a big shock.
‘‘I was sitting there thinking ‘Oh my goodness, I could win a gold medal’.’’
Ratcliffe, who started her athletics career as a hurdler, has had to overcome a recent shoulder injury. She had not been able to touch her competition weight until three months ago.
‘‘I had the perfect leadup to the silver in Glasgow but this one I’ve just fought tooth and nail, just pulling through from that injury and taking it slowly and everyone supporting me every step of the way.’’
Her father and coach, Dave Ratcliffe, said a couple of months ago they were not sure they would make the Games.
‘‘Over the last couple of years she’s had quite a lot of pain where the clavicle and sternum met in the joint. She is relatively painfree now and that has enabled her to train hard.’’
Ratcliffe said she would now have a break and then turn her attention to the world championships in Doha next year and then the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
New Zealander Joseph Millar was sixth in his 200m heat last night in a time of 21.01sec, missing out on a place in tonight’s final. — NZN