Kelsey-Lee Barber launches her season at Melbourne Track Classic

Kelsey-Lee Barber was the headline act of the Melbourne Track Classic — yet suffered a shock defeat. Here’s why she isn’t worried. RELIVE THE ACTION FROM THE EVENT.

The reigning world champion getting beaten in her first domestic competition would normally be cause for major concern.

Not for Kelsey-Lee Barber who was taking a positive view to her surprise defeat in the women’s javelin at Saturday night’s Melbourne Track Classic.

The Olympic bronze medallist was looking at the positives of having proper competition this Australian season with fellow Tokyo finalist Mackenzie Little rather than dwelling on her second place.

Little, who cut her teeth on the US college circuit before making her debut in the green and gold in Tokyo, threw 61.13m to take the victory ahead of Barber (60.31m).

Barber, the 2019 world champion in Doha, was happy with the performance given this time last year; she was struggling with major confidence issues before finally sorting them out just in time to produce a stunning turnaround in Tokyo.

“Sixty is not a terrible place to start, it just reflects where I am and I can build from there,” Barber said. “I’ve had my one loss for the season. I don’t want to do it again.

“I’m actually really happy with how I performed tonight on the runway, the distances, not so much. I think they’ll come.

“I am really happy to be back out here. I am in a much better state mentally than I was last year and I’m really trying to soak that up and stand at the top of the runway with confidence to deliver the javelin.”

READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KELSEY-LEE BARBER

Kelsey-Lee Barber, who is talking about the Olympics being postponed source: supplied

Little, 25, said she was excited to be able to square off with an athlete of the calibre of Barber throughout the domestic season.

“I wouldn’t have that drive and energy to compete if we didn’t have that atmosphere,” she said. “It changes everything, it increases the energy, the whole atmosphere.”

The pair will clash again in a fortnight at the national championships in Sydney with reigning Commonwealth Games champion Kathryn Mitchell expected to also make her domestic debut.

The hottest sprinter in the land, Queensland’s Ella Connolly, continued her winning ways in the 200m – making it 18 victories from her past 19 starts.

While Connolly was successful over 400m at last week’s Sydney Track Classic, the 21-year-old said she would be aiming to qualify for this year’s world championships in Eugene and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the sprints.

After battling injuries in recent years, Connolly has been rejuvenated after moving to the Gold Coast.

“It has been a tough three years with various injuries but I’m just so happy to be back racing and racing consistently,” she said after clocking a wind-assisted 22.61sec (+4.0).

In the men’s 100m, 2018 Stawell Gift winner Jacob Despard took down former junior gun Jack Hale, clocking an impressive 10.11sec albeit with a strong tail wind (+3.4).