Sports
Triple treat
By Barry Rollings

Volume 49, No. 03, March 08, 2007
 
OVER AND ABOVE: Clerk LACW Rosaleen Normoyle, from RAAF Base Amberley, leaps for the line in the 100m hurdles final, which she won, along with the 400m hurdles and long jump events in the ADF Track and Field Championships in Brisbane. Photo by CPL Corinne Boer
 
Inset: LAC Will Harding (right), from RAAF Base Townsville, leads an Army competitor in the 1500m event, in which he placed second.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso
 
AND THEY’RE OFF: LACW Rosaleen Normoyle (centre) darts out of the blocks in the 100m, in which she finished second during the ADF track and field titles in Brisbane.
Photo by CPL Corinne Boer
 
'JUMP TO IT'

LACW Rosaleen Normoyle stamped herself as a talent for the future in showing the Midas touch from limited preparation at the ADF Track and Field Championships in Brisbane from February 23-25.

LACW Normoyle, from 382ECSS at RAAF Base Amberley, won the long jump, 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles and was second in the 100m.

Describing the meeting as “pretty successful” from a personal point of view, LACW Normoyle was extremely happy with her results, considering her limited preparation.

Originally from Perth, she is no newcomer to the sport, having had about six years of competitive athletics from the age of 13 to 19 and reaching national level while a member of the Stirling Swans club.

After that she developed an interest in martial arts, originally in karate with her partner and later in zen do kai because its freestyle appealed to her, and there was more sparring involved and it offered more cardio fitness.

LACW Normoyle described herself as an all-rounder in Little Athletics before becoming mainly a sprinter and hurdler with Stirling Swans.

“You are forced to specialise as you get older because of time restrictions, and short events are my forte,” LACW Normoyle said.

Her winning leap of 4.24m in the long jump was slightly under her personal best because she had not done any specialised training for it.

She won the 100m hurdles in 17.39sec and said it was the toughest [event], running in company with Queensland open and under-18 competitors.

“I was a little disappointed by my 1:21.27 time in the 400m hurdles,” she said.

“I drew the outside lane, was out in front and went out too fast.

“Before the titles, I didn’t have any idea of the competition or how strong they would be.”

Her 13.98sec was good enough for silver in the 100m.

If the old saying that “success breeds success” holds true, then those who compete with or against Ipswich District Athletics Club will need to look to their laurels.

LACW Normoyle is back on the competitive trail again and looking to compete regularly on Saturdays at Queen Elizabeth II Stadium – the scene of her ADF successes.