Wisil eyes better start

 AN unusually slow start out of the blocks for Toea Wisil saw her clock 11.58 seconds in the women’s 100-metre final of the Queensland Track Classic on Saturday.

The time was still good enough for Papua New Guinea’s top female sprinter to come second behind Australian Olympic hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson, who tore past the finish line in 11.27s.

Wisil, who claimed the unofficial title of the fastest woman in Australia last year, albeit in the absence of Pearson, has the chance to start off on her own terms this weekend at the Australian National Athletics Championships in Melbourne.

Athletics PNG president said Wisil would run in the 100m and 200m at the Melbourne meet and if conditions were suitable could threaten her 11.41 she ran in the same city last year at the IAAF World Challenge at Lakeside Stadium.

Wisil, whose strength is her start,  got off slow but managed to overhaul most of her competitors, indicating that with a little bit of luck and better timing Wisil is realistically eyeing a top three finish.

With Pearson likely to focus on her pet event, the 100m hurdles, the chance is there for the 26-year-old Jiwaka native snatch a second Australian 100m title.