Tokyo medallist Kelsey-Lee Barber makes significant change on road to Olympics

After overcoming the yips to win a bronze medal last year, a fired up and refreshed Kelsey-Lee Barber is determined to set her sights on gold.

THIS time last year Kelsey-Lee Barber was a wreck, her confidence was shot and with the Olympics looming large she‘d developed the yips.

That’s a significant problem when you’re the world’s best javelin thrower, but the fact she not only got through it but courageously won an Olympic bronze medal along the way is still something that has her shaking her head.

Barber was one of the feel-good stories from the Tokyo Olympics, fighting her way through the qualifying round and then delivering big in the final to get on the podium when all seemed lost.

Australia's Kelsey-Lee Barber competes in the women's javelin throw qualification during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

It has become her trademark, to pull out something special in the final moments of competition – she won the 2019 world title in Doha with her last throw.

As she prepares for her return to competition at Saturday night’s Melbourne Track Classic, Barber is adopting a new beginnings theme for 2022.

WATCH BARBER IN ACTION DURING THE MELBOURNE TRACK CLASSIC LIVE STREAM FROM 6PM, SATURDAY

After 14 years in Canberra, Barber, 30, and her husband/coach Mike have moved to Brisbane looking to add a freshness to the next phase of her career.

“One of the big ones was the start of a new cycle for the next Olympics and the timing just felt right,” she said.

“I needed to change up my training environment and wanted to be around some athletes who are on a similar path, chasing the same goals and obviously the warmer weather is a factor.”

Barber lives just down the road from the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre where on any given day she will find Olympic discus throw finalist Matt Denny, decathles Ash Moloney and Cedric Dubler, some of Australia’s fastest sprinters and a new emerging group of javelin throwers.

“It‘s all a bit new and you wake up every day and wonder who you are going to meet at training today,” she said. “There is just a buzz around the place and it’s a whole new life.”

As a consequence, the way she is feeling coming into the new season is chalk and cheese compared to 12 months ago.

“I am definitely in a much better place, both mentally and physically this year than I was 12 months ago,” Barber said.

Kelsey-Lee Barber wins Bronze during the women's Javelin final the at the Athletics from the Tokyo Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Pics Adam Head

“It has taken me a long time to unpack what happened last year and I think the medal in Tokyo for me, having had that time to reflect on it, holds a lot more meaning than it did initially.

“The initial response is always, ‘Oh my goodness I have just achieved something I have always wanted’ but there is a lot more behind it and I don’t necessarily think I finished 2021 on a high.

“I still struggled through the back-end of that season, my body was sore and I was fighting a lot last year.

“I have really been able to unshackle myself a little bit from what was holding me back and be able to address it, then accept it and it‘s what got me to the place I am now.”

Rather than predict what she might throw on Saturday – fellow Tokyo Olympic finalist Mackenzie Little is also competing – Barber is focusing on the confidence she has in her body.

“It is a different confidence to previous years,” she said. ”I am really confident in the body I am taking into Saturday and confident in the way Mike and I can talk about the throw and how I can put something together.

“Most of all I am out there to explore and enjoy my throw again, really rediscover what my body is capable of achieving with the javelin.”