2020 Vision: Weatherly in the throws of building towards Tokyo

By Terry Mallinder
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: March 30, 2016

NOW a seasoned international traveler, Ned Weatherly has his sights set firmly on making a certain visit to Tokyo in 2020 … to represent Australia in the Olympic Games.

“Of course Tokyo is the aim,” the 18-year-old from Victoria tells Youth Sport Australia. “I’ve got a sign up in my room telling me that every day I’m working towards Tokyo and achieving the ‘Olympic Dream’ … plus I want to get the Olympic Rings tattoo.”

But, first thing’s first and the reigning national under-20 champion is preparing for a trip to Poland as part of the 55-strong Australian team to compete at the World Junior Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz from July 19-24.

“I haven’t been to Poland before but when I was about 14 I went on a high school boys athletics trip to England, Scotland, Wales and Austria. I’m very keen to head out there and embrace some European culture,” he says.

Weatherly also represented Australia at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China in 2014, and enjoyed a trip to Colombia last year where he won bronze in the IAAF World Youth Championships (for under-18s) in front a raucous South American crowd.

Though he bowed out in the qualifying stages of the shot put, finishing ninth, Weatherly had again shown his world-class talent with the hammer – on this occasion the 5kg variety – throwing 77.60m to finish behind Ukraine pair Hlib Piskunov (84.91m) and Mykhailo Havryliuk (78.93m).

“Colombia was amazing,” he recalls. “To come away with a bronze medal and see one of the highest-level world under-18 championships ever … the Colombian people were amazing hosts and the weather was amazing.”

Weatherly admits “it’s going to be tough” competing in the under-20 age group that is the world junior championships, which will also see competitors using the 6kg hammer.

“However I think the bronze or silver is possible,” he says. “I just have to make sure everything goes right … that there’s no slip-ups, which is hard, but who knows, we will see.”

Weatherley, who calls Geelong home, but is now part of Frankston Athletics on the other side of Melbourne, said there would be a “specific strength training” in preparation for the major event. “I need to get the core of my body strong as well as build some more leg strength. I’ll be trying my best to keep niggle-free as well, so lots of massage and chiro.”

Weatherly won the national U20 title in Sydney in early March with a throw in the finals of 71.68m – just short of his personal best 72.73m – ahead of second-placegetter Nathan Wilkins (63.37m), who will also be making the trip to Poland.

Weatherly was also crowned national shot put champion, but knows his future on the world stage lies predominantly with the hammer throw.

“I still do the shot put, however my size (under 180cm) puts me at a disadvantage against the man-mammoths that are the shot putters,” explains Weatherly, who first took up shot put in primary school before being introduced to the hammer.

“The hammer thrower, while still big, aren’t quite as big. I decided to specialise in the hammer throw due to my rapid success and improvement from an early age.”

That’s not to say it hasn’t been a completely smooth rise to success. Mastering his throwing technique can have its up and downs – literally.

“It happens once a month where I slip and trip up on my heels,” he says. “It has put me in the hospital once.

“I slipped while training and hit my head pretty hard on the concrete and ended up waking up in hospital.

“According to my family, the neurologist was doing some brain scans to check for a brain bleed. I was freaking out apparently. I couldn’t remember it, however the nurses and doctors at the Frankston hospital were amazing and helped me through it.

“A month later I won the bronze medal at the world U18 championships.”

Raising enough money to be able to travel overseas also has its battles, however, Weatherly is gaining support through gofundme.com.

“Yes. I’ve gained close to $1000 dollars already. I’m so grateful to everyone that has helped me. It truly humbles me to see how selfless people are,” he says.

To help support Ned go to his page at gofundme.com