If Kelsey-Lee Barber is there in round six of an Olympic Games final, a gold medal winner says you would start to think "anything is possible" and only the bravest of punters would write her off.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Whether the gold medal contender's body lets her get that far is the question.
The javelin thrower is tipped to be one of Australia's greatest medal hopes in Paris after winning two world championships and Olympic bronze in Tokyo - but an injury threatens to derail her bid for gold.
The 32-year-old has been forced to overhaul her Olympic preparations to spend more time at home managing her body.
But Steve Hooker - who won pole vault gold with an Olympic record in Beijing, which in turn made him Australia's first male track and field gold medallist in 40 years - says it would be almost impossible to write Barber off after she spent years carving out a reputation as one of the sport's most clutch performers.
Twice, Barber's last throw of a competition has lifted her to gold - at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 and the Doha world championships three years prior. It was her final attempt which secured bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games three years ago.
"Kelsey's body is the big one. She is a big-time performer, we all know that. If she can get herself into a final and she is there in round six, anything is possible," Channel Nine track and field expert Hooker said.
"She's proven that time and time again. But again, body with her seems to be the concern.
"Mackenzie Little seems to have been a bit more consistent in terms of being able to stay on the competition field and perform at a high level. It's always good when you've got two athletes pushing each other and ensuring the level remains high.
"I'm hopeful we'll see Kelsey-Lee in the final, and in the sixth round in particular, when she has thrown out so many great performances in the past. If there's anything that's going to get you there, it's going to be the Olympics."
The Australian athletics team for the Olympics is set to include more than 60 athletes, with the remainder of the squad to be named after the close of the Paris 2024 qualification period in July.
Little will arrive in fine form. She heads to Paris coming off wins at the Australian and Oceania championships - where she demolished the field by more than 13 metres - while she finished second at the Suzhou Diamond League.
As for Barber, those watching will do so in the hope of seeing her wrench victory from the jaws of defeat once more.
The Canberra product said it herself last year after claiming silver in a Diamond League event: "When it comes to a major championships I know that I can stand up and perform when it counts."
"There's nothing more exciting than seeing her line up in round six," Hooker said.
"It would be great if she gets there. Javelin is one of those events where you need one throw, and she has shown that time and time again."
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
