Local hopefuls at Comm Games

THE Birmingham Commonwealth Games kick off this week, and there are Ballarat athletes who will be going for gold.

Local hopes are headlined by javelin thrower Kathryn Mitchell who’ll be at her fifth Games and goes in as reigning champion.

Along with winning the gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she has previously competed in three Olympic Games, where she placed sixth in 2016.

She first represented Australia in the Commonwealth Games in 2006 where she placed fifth.

Also competing in athletics is middle-distance runner Stewart McSweyn who’ll be lining up for the start of the 1500 meters that goes on Thursday, 4 August.

McSweyn first raced in the Commonwealth Games in 2018, where he placed fifth in the 5000 meters and 11th in the 10,000-meter event.

He’s held Australia’s 1500-meter record since participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, alongside the 3000-meter record gained during the 2020 Golden Gala.

During the 2021 Monaco Diamond League, he scored a 1500-metre personal best of 3:29.51.

Born in Launceston, McSweyn boarded at Ballarat Clarendon College, and was mentored by Buninyong coach Rod Griffin and runner Collis Birmingham.

On the velodrome will be Bacchus Marsh-raised track cyclist and former Ballarat Grammar student Graeme Frislie, making his Commonwealth Games debut.

Starting in under 13s with the Ballarat Sebastopol Cycling Club, Grislie holds a scholarship at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

His recent achievements include winning the men’s under 23s Federation University Road National Championships in January.

A Federation University WestVic Academy of Sport athlete, Frislie was crowned champion in the 2019 under 19s Australian Track Cycling National Championship in Brisbane.

He later competed in the 2019 UCI Junior World Track Cycling Championships in Germany, where he won silver.