Walpiri T20 athlete Telaya Blacksmith competed at the Chemist Warehosue Australian Athletics Championships 2024 in Adelaide over the weekend and made her mark.
On the first day, Blacksmith excelled in the long jump, securing first place and recording a personal best distance of 5.20 meters.
"I am happy to start getting a few over five metres on the board, Lord knows I do plenty of them at training," she said.
In addition, she raced in the 400 meters, posting a time of 1:00:20s.
"I felt strong and was hoping for a sub 59.05s yesterday but just couldn't get there, so it's hard not to be disappointed," she said.
"Today is a new day though and I'm back at it for the 200m."
She had hoped to surpass her previous best and finish under 59.05 seconds to strengthen her chances for the Paris Paralympics.
Her final event, the 200m, ended in victory as she clocked 27.01 seconds.
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Earlier this year, the 16 year-old demonstrated her potential by securing a Paralympics B qualifier with a 58.95 seconds finish in the T20 400 meters, beating the required standard of 59.05s.
Blacksmith's commendable performance in Adelaide has solidified her standing as a promising contender in Australian athletics, as we move closer to the Paris Paralympics this August.
