TIME FOR HOCKEY

HIGHTON’S Isaac Hockey will line up at next week’s FISU World University Games after scoring a last-minute invite.

The 1500m specialist will travel to Taipei for the 29th edition of the games, being held from August 19-30.

The 19-year-old snagged his Australian team qualifier at the 11th hour.

On June 11, the final day of the qualification period, Hockey took line honours at the Portland Track Classic in Oregon. He dipped under the qualifying mark by 0.18sec, clocking 3min 42.65sec. By then, it was actually June 12 in Australia. However, his time proved valid.

Since then, Hockey has continued to better his best, and will head into the championships with a seed time of 3:38.49. If past stats are anything to go by, he will be a solid medal contender. The event is typically won in just under 3:40, which puts him in the mix.

“It looks like on form, I should be up there,” he said.

Hockey, who competes for Melbourne University Athletics Club, is coached by Geelong’s Bruce Scriven.

It is fitting his first open-age international championships is the World University Games. The University of Melbourne biomedical student spends much of his time juggling study and running commitments. But he would not want it any other way.

“I don’t want to be a full-time athlete and only that. Who knows when the running will end, and you need something after that,” he said.

A born-and-bred Geelong boy, Hockey reflects fondly on his early years at John Landy Athletics Field.

“It’s my home of running. It’s where everything began,” he said.

While Hockey is predominantly based in Fitzroy, he spends his weekends working at Geelong’s specialty running store, The Running Company.

He sees the World University Games as a bridging opportunity towards his long-term goals.

He is positioned one second outside the Commonwealth Games A qualifying standard. A major senior team debut at the 2018 Games is high on his radar. “It is scary but it is my goal now,” he said.

“It would be my first proper senior team so it would be a huge achievement, a huge experience.

“Then in front of an Australian crowd, and the fact that friends and family can come and support you, it would be unbelievable.”