Bronze for Gympie athlete at Aust Champs

Gympie's Chantelle Chippindall went to the Australian Championships with a realistic mindset and exceed her own expectations.

HARD WORK PAYS OFF: Chantelle Chippindall receives bronze in the heptathlon and a PB. Picture: Bec Singh

ATHLETICS: Gympie's Chantelle Chippindall went to the Australian Championships with a realistic mindset and exceed her own expectations.

She competed in the under- 20s at Sydney in three events - shot put, javelin and heptathlon.

Chippindall received a bronze medal in the heptathlon and fifth and sixth in the other two events.

Her aim for the event was simple.

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"Heptathlon was in the end of the week and I was not expecting any placing, all I wanted to do was a PB,” she said.

"I am in the under-20s now, so I was competing with athletes a year older than me.

"I had been working really hard and I wanted PBs to know it is working.”

The first day of the heptathlon started well but the second day was the stand-out.

"It started well and Mum (Alison, her coach) reckons I only got motivated and aggressive on the second day,” she said.

"I was coming fourth and I started to think, I could get there. I was still pretty happy with the first day but overall could have been a bit better.

"Second day I was super happy and I wanted to get 5000 points, which I was on track to getting.”

Javelin was Chippindall's second-last event and a big throw was unfortunately fouled but she was trying to set herself up to get 5000 points.

"I did one of the biggest throws and it makes me so sad because it was a foul,” she said.

"It was really close in the places and who knows, I could have got better.

"Mum gave me a start time and she said 'you have to run a 2 minutes 25 seconds' and I had only run a 2.30, so that was huge but I ended up running a 2.27.”

Chippendall needed to find pace in the last event and ended up doing a six-second PB.

"I ran a 2 minutes 27 seconds,” she said.

"It hurt a lot but it was totally worth it. I ended up third and I thought I was fourth, which I was still happy and I was so pleased when they called out my name.

"I was so shocked and I was really happy to know my training is working, because you do so much training for a few comps.”

The result from this event has given Chippindall confidence for the future.

"I had a few down comps beforehand, I was not getting PBs and I was getting down and it was so good to get some PBs,” she said.

"To know my training is working is giving me encouragement to get going and step up to the next age group.

"One more year in under- 20s and I move up to opens, I am nervous for that already.”

Originally published as Bronze for Gympie athlete at Aust Champs