Maroros eyeing Games

By PATRICIA KEAMO
PARA-athlete Morea Mararos is closing in on a Paralympic qualifier in the seated javelin after recording a throw of 20.72m at the Australian National Athletics Championship last week.
Mararos fared well in the F34 seated javelin throw (600g), finishing first in his category with a gold medal but fell short to reach the qualifying mark for the Paralympic Games.
The qualifying mark for the F34 seated javelin is 21m and with his performance at the championship coming close to it, he will be chasing this standard at the Oceania Championships set for Fiji in June.
“Morea fell short just by a few centimeters to qualify for Paris as 21m is the qualifying mark, in his competition he threw 20.72m,” para-athlete coach Jackie Travetz told The National.
“He is now confident to use the Oceania Athletics Championship in Fiji to Qualify for the Paris Paralympics Games.
Travetz said winning a gold at the championship in Adelaide last week boosted Mararos’ confidence in reaching the qualification mark in the Oceania Championship in June.
Mararos previously represented PNG at the Tokyo Paralympic Games and is aiming for a second appearance in Paris.
Meanwhile, sprint para-athlete Steven Abraham who also competed at the Australian Championship is eyeing qualification for his first Paralympic Games. Abraham was exceptional at the Pacific Games last year and will be looking to elevate his career after running 11.95s in his race in Adelaide. He remained back in Gold Coast to continue his training towards the Oceania Championship in June.
“For Morea, he will continue training at the PNG High Performance Sport gym in Port Moresby as well as using the field at Sir John Guise Stadium for his technical sessions. We believe he can do it,” said Travetz.