ROSE Davies will have dual aims on Australia Day, defending her Zatopek title and clocking qualifiers for this year's major athletics events.
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Six months on from her Olympic debut, the Merewether runner returns to the track in Melbourne on Wednesday with an eye towards winning the national 10,000 metre race again and hitting times for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
"It's an early opportunity to snag a qualifier or get a win. That would be nice, hopefully," Davies told the Newcastle Herald while training in Falls Creek recently.
The 22-year-old scored a breakthrough victory at Zatopek in 2021, rocketing her into Olympic contention before recording a 5000m qualifier overseas.
She was selected on the Australia athletics team and attended the postponed Games in Tokyo, finishing 18th in her heat for the women's 5000m.
Davies hopes to now use her maiden Olympic experience as a springboard for 2022 and beyond.
"It's all a bit of a blur. Getting to Tokyo and then all these [COVID] lockdowns, it feels like the last six months have gone so long. But I'm keen to get back into racing and run fast at Zatopek," she said.
"Just stepping out onto the track for the first time [at the Olympics] was pretty cool. I think it does give me a bit of confidence coming off Tokyo and knowing that I'm capable of doing that. Hopefully I can jump a step further this year."
The World Championships are set for the US state of Oregon in July (15-24), quickly followed by the Commonwealth Games in the English city of Birmingham (July 28-August 8).
Qualifying standards for Davies are the same as last year's Olympics - 15 minutes and 10 seconds (15:10) for the 5000m and 31:25 for the 10,000m.
However, the slate has virtually been wiped clean with times required in a 12-month period to June this year, which incorporates the Games in Tokyo.
Her personal bests are 15:08.48 from the Netherlands in May and 31:39.97 from Zatopek at Box Hill in January, 2021.
"I'm feeling confident. I know I can do it. Whether that's Zatopek or not we'll see," Davies said.
She has identified a handful of other events in the coming months, including a 5000m at the Adelaide Invitational on February 12, a 10,000m as part of Hobart's Run The Bridge on February 27 and nationals in Sydney (March 26-April 3).
Davies was undecided about whether which distance to target, however, would consider contesting both if she had the chance.
"I'll aim definitely for both the 10 and the five. Guess I'll just see which ones [qualifiers] I get. If I get both I'm sure I'll race both, but we'll see," she said.
Davies will race at Zatopek against the likes of Isobel Batt-Doyle and Great Britain's Charlotte Purdue.
Also in action at Lakeside Stadium will be Guy Walters (men's 10,000m), Luke Young (men's 1500m), Sarah Schiffmann (under-20 women's 3000m) and Montana Monk (women's 800m).
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