By Lance Jenkinson
Teenage sensation Celeste Mucci continues to grab the national headlines for her track-and-field prowess.
The young Williamstown Athletics Club athlete has been dubbed a star of the future after taking the Australian Athletics Championships by storm earlier this month.
The 19-year-old claimed gold medals in both the heptathlon and 100-metre hurdles.
“I was very happy to win both the heptathlon and the hurdles,” Mucci said
“I was more expecting to do well in the heptathlon, but I’ll take the hurdles as well, which is just a bonus for me and it’s great.”
Mucci was fit and firing for the nationals, which took place at Sydney Olympic Park.
If there was a concern, it was that the heptathlon was her first for the season on the biggest stage.
“I had a good prep [fitness-wise] leading in,” Mucci said.
“It was my first heptathlon for the season, which is not ideal being nationals, but I just had to put one together.
“I was happy with how I performed with that being the first one.”
The heptathlon is a seven-event competition.
Mucci placed first in the 100m hurdles, 200m and long jump, and came third in the high jump.
She came fifth in both the javelin and 800m, while her 11th place in the shot put did not prove enough of a hindrance to knock her off top spot.
Her shot put technique is still a work-in-progress.
“Overall, I was very happy with it,” Mucci said. “Going forward, it’s given me confidence to compete against those type of girls.
“I just think it was great being competitive in that field.
“Hopefully I can take it overseas and in international competitions.”
After two days of competition in the heptathlon, Mucci turned her attention to the 100m hurdles.
What she did in that event had athletics followers in awe.
She became the first woman in 25 years to hold the heptathlon and 100m hurdles Australian titles at the one time.
Mucci was going for gold, but even she was taken aback by her success in the hurdles after a gruelling heptathlon leading in.
“The hurdles was after the two-day heptathlon, so I just thought I wouldn’t be as fresh as I usually would,” she said.
“I didn’t have any of the pressure on me that I put on myself [in the heptathlon].
“I ran consistently, so that was what I was happy about. I was trying to stick with the other girls and I did.”
Next month, Mucci will head to Europe for competition, with an invite to the Gotzis heptathlon her main target.
“The best in the world will be competing, so that will be really exciting,” Mucci said.
The Oceania Championships and University Games are the other major events that Mucci is targeting in 2019.
MORE ATHLETICS NEWS
www.starweekly.com.au/sports/greenvale-speedster-max-busuttil-puts-his-passion-on-a-fast-track/
