Barlow Park base ensures PNG’s Richard ready for Pacific Games

A fortnight training at Barlow Park served as the perfect Pacific Games preparation for Papua New Guinea’s Peniel Richard.

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A fortnight training at Barlow Park served as the perfect Pacific Games preparation for Papua New Guinea’s Peniel Richard.

The Texas-based, PNG jumps athlete opened his Pacific Games campaign in the long jump on Thursday, and is scheduled to compete in the triple jump on Friday.

Richard returned to competition at the Oceania Championships last month, and while he finished on the podium in only the triple jump (he was sixth in the long jump), it was a welcome return for the 22-year-old.

Triple jumper Peniel Richard training. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

He has worked through injury and other setbacks since the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April last year.

“It was an eye-opener, there a few things I had to improve on but it was one of those competitions where you see all of the things you had to work on,” he said.

“You work during daily training sessions, and you can feel that excitement coming on. You feel positive and confident but if you have one of those meets (where it doesn’t go to plan), you just have to keep working through.

“It is a good lead-up competition.”

Born near Port Moresby, his journey to the international stage started in high school with the introduction of athletics to the school program, and he was identified and developed as a jumps athlete.

Richard has spent the past two years at Angelo State University in Texas, about six hours west of Dallas, majoring in a double degree of kinesiology and biology, and has two more seasons to complete his degree and compete on the NCAA circuit.

PNG triple jumper Peniel Richard training. PICTURE: BRENDAN RADKE

His goal is to use the Pacific Games as a launching pad to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The PNG athletics team are just one of a number of national teams which use Cairns as a base ahead of major competition.

Members of the Australian athletics and para-athletics worked out at Barlow Park ahead of the Oceania Championships, while the Australian Dolphins Swim Team used the Tobruk Memorial Swimming Pool ahead of their world championships stint in South Korea.

Originally published as Barlow Park base ensures PNG’s Richard ready for Pacific Games