Geelong teenager Karla Boras returned from the recent Australian Junior Athletic Championships in Perth with a stunning dual gold medal winning performance.
The talented 16-year-old Australian Croatian athlete captured first place in the long jump and triple jump to claim the title of Australian Junior champion in both field events.
“I was really happy to win gold in both events, as I wasn’t expecting to win the long jump,” admitted Karla Boras this week from Bali, where she is holidaying with her father Jozo after triumphing at the Nationals.
“I felt that I hadn’t performed well in the long jump in recent weeks, but it all seemed to come together in Perth,” she added.
Boras took out the long jump category with a final jump of 5.90 metres, while a leap of 12.41 metres was sufficient enough for the high flying Aussie Croat teenager to claim the triple jump title.
Focus on next year’s U20 World Champs
Upon her return from Bali, her focus will subsequently turn to qualifying for next year’s World Athletics U20 Championships which will be held in August in the American city of Eugene, Oregon.
“I am now turning my attention to qualifying for the World Juniors next year in the United States,” revealed the talented Year 11 student Karla Boras.
“That (the qualifiers) will come later this year. In the meantime, I will be continuing my training in Melbourne three times a week,” added Boras.
Apart from travelling to Melbourne three times a week for training, this ups the chances of Karla Boras excelling further. She spends a further two days a week in the gym, as well as combining her studies at Geelong’s famed Sacred Heart College.
The talented teen first started her athletics pursuits at the tender age of six with her local Chilwell Little Athletics Club and has not looked back since.
In the United States next year, Boras will be aiming to emulate the feat of her older sister Tiana who captured a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2023 World Athletics U20 Championships in Colombia.
The older Boras managed an incredible jump of 13.30 metres in Colombia, setting an Australian record at the time.
