Hannah Cockroft new World Record
Double World Champion Hannah Cockroft (coach: Peter Eriksson) has broken the T34 400m World Record in her first major event of the 2012 season when clocking 1:00.67 in the Summer Down Under Series in Canberra, Australia.
It was an exciting start to her Paralympic year and is – at last – a valid mark after several quicker but un-ratified performances over the past 12 months.
“We’ve been working on the whole package,” said the multiple World Record holder. “Clearly there’s still a lot of work to be done on my start, on my transition, on my top end speed…on everything really, but I’ve just had some really good training sessions out here and it’s been great to have a coach constantly by my side, feeding back on every session. It was never in my plan to peak at this time so I’m way happy about how it’s all coming together.”
Cockroft is in good company ‘down under’ and is joined in Australia by fellow Aviva GB & NI athletes including Shelly Woods (Peter Eriksson) and Mickey Bushell (Fred Periac) in addition to team coach Kelly Smith, a marathon silver medallist for Canada in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.
“It’s great to work with Shelly and Kelly out here,” she added. “It’s good to have someone to really push you through each session and then be with you at the competitions to support you.”
Woods is also performing brilliantly and has defeated Canada’s Paralympic medallist Diane Roy twice each in the 1500m (3:35.56 and 3:53.45) and the 5000m, first in 12:40.13 which was an exceptional 14 second victory and then a solo effort in tough conditions, clocking an impressive 12:36.98.
“Our wheelchair racers are in the best possible environment out in Australia,” said Head Coach Peter Eriksson. “We have good facilities out here, we’re close to the track, close to the road and we have good weather; this is exactly what Chantal (five-time Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc) did ahead of the Beijing Games in 2008.
“Hannah is benefiting from the continuous training we’re putting in. She’s injury free and healthy and we’re getting results from the consistency of good quality training. Hannah’s focus is not just 2012, it’s 2016 and 2020.
“With Shelly we’ve made tons of changes but we’re done with that now which is a good thing as it interrupts regular training; now we’re working on consistent high quality training and the tactical help she’s getting from Kelly (Smith) and Chantal (Petitclerc) for the track is making a huge difference; she’s now tactically aware and thinking the right way.”
Additional race highlights so far include victories for Bushell in the T53 100m in 14.86; 15.57 (-1.5m/s) and 15.24 (-1.2m/s).
“This time of year is really important for Mickey as it gives him a sustained period of quality training with his coach (Fred Periac who is based in Australia),” concluded Eriksson. “The Summer Down Under series also gives Mickey the chance to compete against a couple of key rivals, some of whom he won’t compete alongside again before London, so his results are a positive marker of his speed and condition”.
