Rio hopefuls Tom Gamble and Nik Bojic chasing qualification

ATHLETES Tom Gamble and Nik Bojic will go to Thailand to try to notch Olympic qualification after just falling short with in their respective performances at Cairns.

Tom Gamble is chasing a Rio qualification time in Thailand. Picture: Stuart Quinn

BRISBANE athletes Tom Gamble and Nik Bojic will go to Thailand this week to try to notch Olympic qualification after just falling short with performances at Cairns on the weekend.

Gamble clocked 20.65sec for his 200m on Saturday, 0.15sec short of the Rio Olympic 200m qualifying time which only Brisbane’s Alex Hartmann (twice) has achieved among Australians.

Bojic missed an attempt at the high jump standard of 2.29m, having to settle for a clearance of 2.20m.

Melbourne’s Joel Baden’s 2.29m will make him the second Australian selection in the high jump, joining NSW’s Brandon Starc (2.31m).

Athletes have until July 11 to notch qualifying standards to compete in Rio in August, which is preceded by a two-week camp for Australian track and field representatives in Florida.

A Gold Coast meet on July 7-8 will be the last chance to crack the Australian team for several athletes.

Tom Gamble is chasing a Rio qualification time in Thailand. Picture: Stuart Quinn

Selected long jumpers Chelsea Jaensch and Henry Frayne, both from the Gary Bourne training team, did not record their pre-departure distances yesterday in what Bourne said were damp and still conditions.

“Nik only came to us in February and he’s been changing a few things technically,’’ Bourne said.

“He’s going to go to the Thailand championships next weekend and I’m confident he will get a qualifier after today. There was a fair bit of air (between himself and the bar) at 2.29m. It was a good jump,

“He jumped 2.20 last weekend as well and he has two more opportunities to complete, in Thailand and the Gold Coast. He has two more meets in which to get the qualifier.’’

Australia’s world No.2 long jumper on 2016 results, Brooke Stratton, said her 6.68m in Cairns was a solid compeititon and an improvement on the last.

Jaensch and Frayne trained in Cairns since a meet there last Sunday but Jaensch’s best was 6.36m yesterday. Frayne landed a 7.74m jump.

Originally published as Rio hopefuls Tom Gamble and Nik Bojic chasing qualification