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Just four days ago, Julia Tunks of London travelled with her dad, three-time Olympian Jason Tunks, and younger sister Jenna to Oklahoma, to try for a record discus throw. She succeeded.
Tunks threw 62.07 metres, the second-longest throw by a Canadian woman, setting a U23 record and smashing the U20 record by more than four metres.
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“After what she accomplished four days ago, having to throw (at WOSSAA) today . . . forget it,” Jason Tunks said Friday at Alumni Stadium at Western University.
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After her heavyweight session the last few days, “her technique was good, she just didn’t have third gear,” her dad said. Her goal on Friday was just getting through to qualify for the OFSAA regional meet.
Tunks, 17, who attends Oakridge secondary school, achieved her goal. She won the senior women’s discus with a throw of 56.72 metres, setting a Canadian interscholastic record.
Tunks said competing in the senior women’s discus, “Our No. 1 goal for this year is to win the world championships in August,” and she feels fully on track for that goal, but now with her throw of more than 62 metres, the Paris Olympics are a distinct possibility.
“It’s exciting, if they were to select a team today, I’d be on it, but a lot can happen.”
Tunks is amazingly level-headed about it all.
“I’m on the edge of it, but I’m trying not to put pressure on myself, I’m still a kid, I’ll have lots of chances if this year doesn’t work,” she said, adding with a laugh that she was up until midnight doing homework. “Pros don’t have to stay up late to do homework.”
After the OFSAA regionals next week in Windsor, barring disaster, Tunks will be right back at Western for OFSSA June 6 to 8.
“She’ll get some time off the gym for about a week,” her dad said, “(then) she should be ready to throw 58 to 60 (metres).”
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