World Athletic Championships: Stress no problem for Brooke Stratton

Brooke Stratton will approach the world championship long jump preliminaries in a relaxed frame of mind.

Australia’s Brooke Stratton: ‘I would love to make the final and anything from there is a bonus’

Melbourne’s Brooke Stratton will approach the world championship long jump preliminaries late tonight (AEST) in a relaxed frame of mind. Just being on the London Stadium runway is something she had not contemplated a few months ago.

“After the preparation I have had, I would love to make the final and anything from there is a bonus. If I am in PB shape I am definitely capable of doing that,’’ said Stratton, 24.

Just what shape Stratton is in has yet to be fully tested but early last month she jumped 6.79m to earn entry to the world championships, just 12 days before the qualifying deadline.

Stratton had decided to head to Europe, defying some doctors’ cautious advice, to try to make the team after a frustrating year dealing with a succession of injuries.

After the Rio Olympics, where she made the final, Stratton suffered stress injuries to her foot and they repeatedly flared up despite treatment, including wearing a moon boot for seven weeks.
Then in mid-May she suffered pubic bone stress issues.

“I pushed to go to Europe, the sports doctor and physio were trying to hold me back because it was uncertain if the injuries would flare up again,’’ she told The Australian.

“I competed in Townsville (in June) and I pulled up sore but I got through the next couple of weeks of training. I knew I had to do it, I just wanted to be competing and I had to trust myself and all of the work I have done.’’

Stratton qualified at the London Anniversary Games with her jump ranking her ninth in the world this year. But this time in the same stadium she will be competing before a capacity 55,000 crowd and the US jumpers Brittney Reese and Tianna Bartoletta are in hot form.

‘’I always lift in an amazing atmosphere, so I am looking forward to it,’’ said Stratton, who like her teammates, will compete with a black armband in memory of Australian Olympic great Betty Cuthbert who died on Sunday.

“I have felt pretty fast in training and I have been lucky to have a few weeks training without any trouble.

“When I came to Europe I just hopped on a plane not knowing how it would pan out but I just thought ‘you have to be confident and go for it’, so I hope it pays off.

“I would love to jump close to my personal best (a medal-contending leap of 7.05m) but it’s about the conditions on the day.’’