Jim and Heather Steacy added to their impressive track resume this past weekend, winning both the men's and women's Canadian Senior hammer throw titles in Calgary.
Jim Steacy, a 2008 Olympian and former Pronghorns star, completed more than a year long road to recovery and claimed his seventh Canadian Senior title with a throw of 76.27 metres. Steacy missed the entire outdoor season with a pair of injuries that required surgeries to both legs.
Having achieved his second 'B' standard throw of the season at the Canadian Championships, Steacy has qualified for his second World Championships later this summer in Daegu, South Korea. Steacy finished 13th at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. He is the Canadian record holder in the hammer throw with a distance of 79.13 metres.
"I am very happy to be at the level I am at after only four months of training," says Steacy. "To have qualified for the Worlds is a huge step along the path towards the London Olympics next year."
Heather Steacy, a four-time CIS medalist, earned her first Senior National title in Calgary beating out the Canadian record holder and former Olympian Sultana Frizell. Steacy edged out Frizell with a throw of 70.86 metres.
Her throw on Saturday was just shy of her personal best of 70.98 metres but was also her second 'B' standard of the season. It will now be up to Athletics Canada to decide if she will compete at the World Championships, as Frizell has achieved the 'A' standard, automatically qualifying her for the Worlds. If she does get named to the Canadian team it would be her first trip to the World Championships.
Both Jim and Heather will get a good test in Edmonton this week at the Edmonton International Track Classic. American Kibwe Johnson, who broke the 80-metre mark for the first time this season, will travel to Edmonton, while the second ranked female in the world, Kathrin Klaas of Germany, will also compete in Edmonton. Johnson has the second furthest throw this season in the world with a mark of 80.31 metres.
The World Championships will run August 27th to September 4th in Daegu, South Korea.
