Record hammered: Allora athlete aims for Rio Olympics
ALLORA hammer throw champion Matt Denny has his eyes on the Rio Olympics, after smashing the Australian under-20 record in North Queensland.
Denny threw 80.48m at the ANQ Championships last week, breaking the record 79m he set earlier in May.
The Allora athlete was the first Australian to break 80m, and holds the country's overall record with a throw of 81.44m when he was 17.
For Denny the record is another tick on his list of goals.
"Eighty metres is one of the big distances to break," he said.
"To be a part of that group I feel very privileged - my hard work is paying off." With the end of his time as a junior fast approaching, Denny has Olympic gold in his sights.
"After I finish as a junior I'll go back into training and focus on Rio," he said.
"The big goal is to make Rio next year."
Discus and shot-put are also on the agenda for the 19-year-old, who hopes to qualify for at least two Olympic events.
"My plan is to work on the others next year," he said.
"I need to stay fresh and keep my distances up."
