Rheed McCracken will be contesting his fourth World Para-athletics Championships in Dubai.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 22-year-old Charlestown resident wants to breakthrough for a maiden title.
Having twice claimed silver medals in the men's T34 100 metres previously at the event, on debut in Lyon six years ago and most recently at London in 2017, wheelchair racer McCracken now wants to go one better.
"I feel like I have a different mindset to this one," McCracken told the Newcastle Herald.
"My first one [Lyon, 2013] I only found out a month before. The second one [Doha, 2015] I was really excited. The third one [London, 2017] I put a lot of pressure on myself.
"This time [Dubai, 2019] I'm a bit more relaxed. What will be will be. I've done all the work and hopefully I can put it together on the day. But that's racing and that's the exciting part.
"I've had a good lead up without any real disruptions and I feel pretty good."
Bundaberg-born McCracken, who moved to Newcastle four years ago to train alongside mentor Kurt Fearnley and under coach Andrew Dawes, knows that a third Paralympics is just around the corner.
However, he says the focus remains on the United Arab Emirates and not Tokyo 2020.
"I'd love to put in a really good performance at worlds and make this one really count," McCracken said.
"Even though the Paralympics are next year, this year is just as important. All that work, starting at the end of 2018, has been for this world championships."
McCracken broke the sprint world record with a time of 14.79 seconds in Switzerland in June, only to have Tunisian rival Walid Ktila (14.46s) eclipse the mark at the same meet.
Competition starts Thursday but McCracken doesn't hit the track until later this weekend. He'll also participate in the men's T34 800m on November 14 and 15.
McCracken's training partner and Wickham-based wheelchair athlete Luke Bailey, 22, will contest his first world titles after recently being called up to the Australian squad.
"I moved down to Newcastle [from Wingham] in September and then found out I was going to worlds," Bailey said.
Bailey will race the men's T34 100m as well as anchoring a new-look 4x100m relay, featuring athletes from four different disciplines.
Meanwhile, Merewether's Christie Dawes finished fifth in the women's wheelchair marathon in New York on Monday (AEST) with a time of two hours and 11 seconds.
