Sport
3 January, 2025
Nyajima Jock blitzes field to take women’s Gift
As far as starts go to 2025, Nyajima Jock probably couldn’t have asked for a better way to bring in the new year.
A win in her heat by two tenths.
A win in her semi-final — a closer affair, but a win nonetheless, by just under a tenth of a second.
Then, after waiting patiently, she made it all count. Three from three — and in the one that everyone at Princes Park wanted on Wednesday, the Leech’s Mitsubishi and JM Leech Jewellers Women’s Gift.
And she blitzed them.
The Ballarat local’s perfect day saw her record a dominant victory which has Victorian athletics on notice, taking victory over the field by just under three tenths of a second, recording a time of 14.026 over the 120 metre race to make it a day to remember.
Andrea Hearne finished second, while Ilana Grandine finished third in what was a close race for the minor positions.
But this was always going to be Jock’s day, particularly after she managed her day with expertise.
Her dominant heat win made her one of the key favourites, and a 13.918 in the semi-final — the fastest time of the day — cemented that status.
Even if, she says, she wouldn’t have believed any of this would come this time last year.
“I feel absolutely amazing. I feel like this time last year, I would have had no belief that I could do this, but our team have been working really hard, and hard work has paid off,” Jock said.
A fascinating day’s action saw a four-hour wait between the heats and the final, making it a day of management, something that Jock put emphasis on when it came to putting together her perfect day’s work.
“Honestly, it was all about trying to stay in the shade and staying as cool as possible, keeping hydrated and that was it, really. Just a matter of staying out of the sun,” she said.
Putting aside what was a heavy headwind was also a focus for Jock throughout the day, but she believed it was also something which gradually became less of an issue throughout the day.
“We had the biggest headwind in our heat, but it’s not something that I try to think about. I’m more focused on executing the race,” she said.
“Obviously, it can be a factor, but if I execute the race correctly, then the wind is something I just deal with.”
Regardless, it was a focus on what Jock could control which helped her execute three stunning runs.
“I’ve been working on a bit of everything, really. I’ve been focusing on staying up tall and holding the position for as long as possible, and I’ve been doing a lot of work on my starts which comes from the power work that helps out as well,” she said.
“It feels really good knowing that everyone has come from every-where, and winning feels amazing. It’s such a good feeling.”
Jock believed that being able to start in the middle lane was the perfect spot — the ability to be able to manage her own race, as a result, looming as a key factor.
“The middle lane is probably the perfect spot to be honest, I don’t really focus on the backmarkers, I’m looking at who is in front of me,” she said.
“It’s all about getting out really quick, catching those in front of me and then staying in front, and just hoping that the backmarkers don’t catch up to me.”
Jock now has belief that she can match it with anyone as she sets off around the country competing in different events for the rest of 2025.
“I have a competition coming up in Canberra, so I’m hopefully getting out there and getting another good run there, but I’m coming into every event, attacking it and getting the best I can now,” she said.