Teen athletics star eager to build on dominate 2024 season

Recording countless personal bests and winning more than 35 medals from the local to national level, Xanthee Watts had a 2024 athletics season to remember. Now the 15-year-old has revealed the secret to her success.

More than 40 years after Glynis Nunn shocked the world winning heptathlon gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics another multi-discipline athletics star is shining in Toowoomba.

The similarities between Nunn and Xanthee Watts are uncanny.

Both have fond memories of O’Quinn Street Oval, the home of Toowoomba Little Athletics, and both showed an knack in multiple athletics disciplines.

Xanthee was a force to be renowned with in 2024 winning nearly 40 medals from the local and state level through to nationals and representing Queensland Little Athletics in New Zealand.

The 15-year-old started this season in perfect style winning U17 women’s heptathlon gold at the Queensland Athletics Combined Events Championships with 4654 point haul – the highest total of any U15-U18 competition at the event.

“It (2024) was definitely my best year,” Xanthee said.

“It was pretty amazing. I really enjoyed it.”

It was a breakout season for Xanthee who was able to consistently lift her game to match the level of competition she was in.

Xanthee attributed her success to radical overhauls in two key areas – her coaching and her training program.

With her dad Clinton holding the coach’s clipboard in 2024 Watts reduced her training volume but upped the intensity of her sessions.

Xanthee Watts in action on the track.

Xanthee Watts in action at an athletics meet. Picture: Jo Harlow Photography

Drawing on his 20-plus years of experience as sports physical education teacher and passion for researching and adopting the methods of elite athletic programs including the highly respected Texas Track and Field program, Clinton has enjoyed having a front-row seat to watch and support his daughter’s rise.

“We train differently,” Clinton Watts said.

“We don’t train high volume, we train lower volume but with higher intensity.

“There are specific rest period to end every work period … so we will smash her with something really, really hard and then she has to repeat those times or performances.

“Everything we do is recorded and has to be repeatable.”

Speed, gym, sled and technique sessions are also part of Xanthee’s training program.

Both Watts know the benefits of one-on-one specialised training is a huge advantage, however Xanthee’s work ethic is also a huge factor in her success according to Clinton.

Xanthee Watts in action at an athletics meet. Picture: Jo Harlow Photography

“She’s very committed and she trains very hard,” he said.

“She has to fit it (training) in around everything else including school and yet her school results are still outstanding.

“She listens and is always willing to try new ideas and put in the work.”

“Having dad as coach has helped me so much. I love it,” Xanthee said.

“We work together really well and having my own program really works.

“It’s a lot of hard work but it’s all worth it. We talk about things, work on them and when you see the results it’s great.”

Having spent 2024 winning medals in sprinting, throwing and jumping events Watts is not ruling out a career in heptathlon in the future.

However given the opportunity to wear Aussie green and gold in a single event Watts would chose 400m.

“Discus is the event I have being doing the longest. I didn’t start sprints until I was about 12,” Xanthee said.

“I love them all – sprints, throws, jumping – but the sprints are my favourite.

“There is a lot less variables. You just get into the blocks and then run as hard as you can, you don’t have to worry about anything else just your race.

“If I had to pick one event to represent Australia it would be the 400m.”