Cassie Raselli defied illness to power her way to two silver medals at the Lake Burley Griffin Racewalking Australia Championships in Canberra over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend.By Marc McGowan
NOT even a bout of bronchitis could stop Berwick racewalker Cassie Raselli from competing in her sport’s pinnacle winter event over the Queen’s Birthday Weekend.
Cassie, 12, may not have been able to claim the title she won in the under-12 class at last year’s Lake Burley Griffin Racewalking Australia Championships in Canberra, but her debut effort in the under-14 age group was still a successful one.
A second-place finish against 32 other competitors promises much for Cassie’s 2008 campaign, where she will again be able to compete in the same category.
Cassie also won a silver medal as part of the Victorian team’s performance in the race.
Her time of 9:56.0 in the two-kilometre showcase was, not surprisingly, nine seconds slower than her triumphant time of 2006 as she was swallowed up with roughly 400 metres to go by eventual victor and major rival Amy Bettiol of New South Wales.
“I was really, really happy with my performance because I’ve been sick and not training much,” Cassie said.
“My aim was to get a medal, which I got, and also our team got the silver medal, which was really, really good.
“With individual medals you feel more proud of yourself, but with a team it is so exciting because your friends get a medal as well and they deserve something because they train hard.”
The dual silver medals complete Cassie’s set at the competition after she won bronze in the under-10 championships and gold at under-12 level last year.
Cassie’s next big challenge comes at September’s Athletics Australia Junior Road Walking Titles in Perth, where she will be aiming to improve on her bronze from last year.
“I’ve never been to Perth, but I’m really confident, especially after how I did at states (in March, where she smashed the state record on her way to winning the under 13 1500m),” she said.
