Tokyo Olympics dream alive for SA pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall after missing world championships with injury
SA pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall has got his Olympic dream back on track, ramping up his recovery from a double injury blow just eight months out from the Tokyo Games.
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Kurtis Marschall’s Olympic dream appears back on track, as the SA pole vaulter ramps up his return to training after missing the world championships with a double injury blow.
The Commonwealth champion missed last month’s Doha event, having sustained a stress fracture in his L5 vertebrae and a rotator cuff tendon tear in his right shoulder.
Marschall, 22, developed the physical setbacks in May, but opted to sit out the world titles to continue his recovery with one eye on next year’s Tokyo Games.
He demonstrated his progress, posting a video on social media of a successful jump off a two-step approach while training at his WA Institute of Sport base last week.
“Two step. Body still in one piece. Next,” Marschall wrote with the video.
The return to vaulting was an important step for Marschall, just eight months out from the Olympics.
He had been widely tipped to medal in Qatar, after setting new outdoor (5.81m) and indoor (5.87m) personal bests earlier this year.
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But the injury frustration had put a dent in his hopes of a second Games appearance, following his Commonwealth success on the Gold Coast.
It came in the midst of his Perth-based coach Alex Parnov being sacked due to an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Marschall, who joined the highly-regarded WAIS program last year, was now mentored by Dual-Commonwealth silver medallist Paul Burgess
The Happy Valley-raised athlete was remaining upbeat, despite overcoming a challenging period.
“This (confirmation of injuries) was hard news to deal with a few weeks out from beginning my 2019 season,” Marshall wrote on Instagram last month.
“But I had to cop that and re-evaluate and give my body every shot at the big one in 2020.
“It’s been five months now and I’ve worked from ground zero, not even being able to squat body weight, to now starting vaulting.
“It’s been a grind, but it’s been valuable in many ways as well.
“Thanks to everyone who has helped me pull through.
“I have learnt and I will be back, ready to hit this next 10 months hard.”