Brisbane 2011 World Championships Bid

After months of preparation, Brisbane has announced there bid for the 2011 World Championships. Behind the Olympics, the World Championships are the second most prestigious track and field meet. It is also the third most televised event in the world behind the Olympics and World Cup soccer.

This is a great opportunity for athletics in Australia and for Brisbane. Brisbane’s main competition for the bid is Daegu in South Korea.

As an athlete, having a major competition in my home town is not an opportunity that I will be able to pass up. Experiences like the Sydney Olympics, Brisbane Goodwill Games and Melbourne Commonwealth Games have highlighted how advantageous it is to compete in international events at home. In Sydney I jumped 1cm below my personal best, in Brisbane I jumped a 24cm PB and in Melbourne, I landed my best series of jumps and 3cm below my PB. The support you have in a home Games makes such a difference to my performance and so many other athletes concur. Plus, the international athletes aren’t often accustomed to travelling down under to compete so their performances can also be affected.

If Heike Dreschler can win the Olympics at the age of 38, at the 2011 World Championships, I’ll sound young at the age of 33.

I’m excited about the prospect of having the World Championships in Australia. We will all be waiting in anticipation for the announcement in March 2007.