Birthday Surprises for Boden

By Lara Nicod

 For 23-year-old Lauren Boden, it was all surprises last week, which started with an early birthday present on Tuesday with being announced in the final Australian team for the World Championship for Daegu in South Korea in the 400m Hurdles and 4x400m team.

 
Following the news of making her first World champ team Boden celebrated her 23^rd birthday with her coach Matty B and fellow Australian team member Melissa Breen, who was also recently selected in the Australian 4x100m team for Daegu.  Capping off this thrilling week, Boden managed to run a personal best over 400m flat in Nivone, Belgium on Saturday, bringing her PB down to 53.31.

 Having accumulated multiple B standards over the season Boden and her critics were more then surprised over the news of her gaining selection in the recent World championship team.  At the beginning of the season Boden explains athletes were told they were having to run an ‘A standard’ to be eligible for the World champ team however with the discretionary of selectors Boden, Ryan Gregson, Henry Frayne and Robbie Crowther were added to the final team this week. Thrilled over the prospect Boden is excited over the opportunity to represent Australia in her first world champ team which she says ‘ I am going to make sure I give 100% in achieving my goals at this competition’.

To follow Lauren Boden and fellow team member Melissa Breen’s journey to the world championships which starts on August 27^th- September 4^th follow there blogs on http://laurenboden.com/ and http://melbreen.com/.

Other results from Australian and New Zealand athletes that joined Boden in lapping up the cool summer rains of Nivone in Belgium on Saturday were the following:

Brendan Cole -400 H (1^sT) 49.86

Hamish Carson  (NZL)- 1500m (8th) 3.44.48

Hayden McLaren (NZL)-1500m (13th) 3.56.99

Melissa Breen -100m (1st) 11.49

Rochelle Coster (NZL)- (6^th) 100m 12.33

Dani Samuels- Discus (1^st) 60.04