Kim Mickle Javelin Photos by Theron Kirkman Photo

Mickle, javelin national champion and Commonwealth Games medallist, entered her second Worlds in the hottest form of her life.

Kim Mickle’s personal story from the 2011 World Athletics Championships is that rare tale that manages to churn the stomach while warming the heart. It also reveals a secret: Sally Pearson wasn’t the only Aussie woman who deserved to return from Daegu in September a hero.

Mickle, 27, a six-time women’s javelin national champion and 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, entered her second Worlds in the hottest form of her life. With her long-time coach Grant Ward in support, she gave herself a bolter’s chance of throwing well enough to land in the medals. The plan was to go out the first night and put down an easy distance to qualify for the final, then return the following night and let it rip on the biggest stage of her life. But Mickle’s DNA isn’t wired to hold something in reserve – while throwing at less than maximum thrust in qualifying, she felt a twinge near her spine.

“My back went into these horrible spasms,” she recalls. “The morning of the final, I couldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t tie up my shoelaces. I had to have a cortisone shot and a local anaesthetic injection in my back, plus other painkillers and strapping, just so I could get to the warm-up area.”

What happened next remains one of the untold true-grit sporting stories of 2011. Rather than ruin the fun, we’ve let Mickle tell her own story. But we will reveal that the very likeable 27-year-old West Australian performed well enough under immense pressure and pain to earn Olympic pre-selection and book her ticket to the London Games in July.

Night of agony

“The night of the World Champs final, I literally could only do about one-tenth of my usual warm-up. I knew my back was stuffed and I couldn’t rotate my hips through, but rather than accept not being able to throw very far in the final, I thought I’d give it a real go by running in and slamming down on my left side; sort of like using the ol’ cricket bowling action.

“On my fourth throw I ran in and just felt this massive shot of pain down my side. [Mickle fell over the line in agony, recording a no-throw.] I’d find out after

the competition that I’d broken my 11th rib and torn seven centimetres of my oblique muscle off my ribs.

“Still, I thought since it was the final, I might as well keep throwing. The funny thing is my best throws were my fifth and sixth throws (61.96 metres and 61.33m). I finished sixth in the world. I’m surely the only thrower who can say I threw my Olympic qualifying distance with a broken rib and my obliques not attached to my ribs.

“A lot of people, including our medical staff, couldn’t believe what I did. But competing that night gave me the result I wanted, inasmuch as I gained pre-selection for the Aussie team for London and finished sixth in the world. So, I look back and know how painful it all was, but, oh, was it worth it!”

All-rounder

“You’ve got to love being an all-rounder if you’re going to train for javelin. I’m training six days a week. Each of those six days I’m on the track and in the gym, as well as doing specific throwing exercises. Then we add the cross-training elements – gymnastics, yoga, boxing, long-distance runs. My coaches and I are looking at adding a bit of rock climbing next.

“It sounds stupid, but I pretty much love all the training. Even the long-distance running kills me, but I know how good I’ll feel at the end of it. With my weights and track work, we change things up regularly so I don’t get sick of any of it. But my favourite exercise is still throwing. I just love to throw things ‒ no wonder I ended up in javelin ...