Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Perseverance has paid off for youthful high jumper Joel Baden who cleared the automatic qualifying height of 2.29m in late June as the end of qualifying period approached. Baden had clearances during the year at 2.25m and 2.24m twice, but 2.29m had been elusive until he travelled to the warmth of Cairns on June 26.

Between 16 and 18-years his best gradually rose from 2.12 to 2.20m. It earned him a berth at the 2014 IAAF world juniors where he made the final. Seemingly his first experience on the international stage spurred him on as three months later, at a schoolboy meet in Melbourne, he cleared an extraordinary 2.29m. This clearance delivered him a qualifier for the 2015 IAAF world championships where as a teenager he performed well clearing 2.26m and was just one height short of a finals berth.

Baden is coached by the very best, MUAC’s Sandro Bisetto, who guided Australia’s finest ever high jumper, Olympic bronze medallist and national record holder Tim Forsyth.

For the full Olympic profile click here and to send him a good luck message!

Join us at the Ernie Cropley Pavilion to cheer on Joel in Rio