Pocket rocket ready to race for WA at nationals

Albany runner Eleanor Barnett will compete against the top athletes in the country as she represents WA at the Australian Athletic Championships in Sydney next week.

The 13-year-old will compete in the 400m and 800m events in the under-15 category after recording impressive times in Perth throughout the season.

Last month Eleanor competed at the Athletics WA State Championships, where she claimed a silver medal in the 400m and 800m.

The talented runner backed up those performances last weekend at the Little Athletics WA State Championships, winning gold in the 800m and silver in the 400m.

Eleanor, who is coached by Murray Wynne, said she was looking forward to the national event after a long season involving many hours of training.

“I’m excited to have the chance to run at Sydney Olympic Park while representing WA,” she said.

Eleanor said she hoped to improve on her personal bests of 59.78sec. in the 400m and 2min. 18.89sec. in the 800m.

The City of Albany and Great Southern Sports Talent Association have provided financial support to Eleanor over the past six months as she prepares for the national event in Albany.