Long jumper Henry Frayne winning battle with injuries as he chases medal in Rio

BRISBANE’S Olympic long jump medal chaser Henry Frayne does not necessarily like the feel of cotton wool.

Brisbane long jumper Henry Frayne is chasing a medal in Rio.

BRISBANE’S Olympic long jump medal chaser Henry Frayne does not necessarily like the feel of cotton wool.

But staying in Brisbane near his physios and exercise physiologist Michael Woods in recent weeks while many of the world’s best jumpers have been in action in Europe the has been his only path towards Rio success.

Since his ninth at the 2012 Olympics with a broken bone in his ankle, Frayne, 26, has known his ups and downs with back, calf and especially hamstring injuries.

His 8.16m at the Sydney nationals in April to qualify for Olympic selection, would have been good for a medal if produced at the 2012 Olympics and fourth place at last year’s world championships.

“I’m going there with a lot of questions, but I think we are on track,’’ Frayne said.

Brisbane long jumper Henry Frayne is chasing a medal in Rio.

“We’ve strung together 12 or 14 weeks of consistent training which is the most I’ve done in four years.

“I’m going to the Olympics to try to win a medal. The only battle I have is with my own body.

“Given the importance for this Olympics for my continuing career in athletics, we wanted to stay in Australia, stay close to physios we know and stay in cotton wool and try to get some solid training done.’’

Armed with a commerce degree and now studying law, Frayne says his Rio fate will tell him much about his athletics future.

Australia will send Fabrice Lapierre, with an 8.29m best for 2016, to Rio as a more consistent long jumper, but Gary Bourne, Frayne’s coach of seven years, considers his charge to be probably the most professional jumper in Australia.

“Henry is a good enough athlete that if he’s healthy in the last couple of weeks, I’d expect to see him in the final and in the mix for the medals,’’ Bourne said.

THE band of Queensland track and field athletes going to Rio swelled on Wednesday when the Australian Olympic Committee added 18 athletes to a Games team now numbering 61. The Queensland residents are Matt Denny (discus), Josh Robinson (javelin), Caitlin Sargeant (4x400m relay) and Patrick Tiernan (5000m), along with Sunbury-born Linden Hall (1500m).

Originally published as Long jumper Henry Frayne winning battle with injuries as he chases medal in Rio