HAMILTON POISED FOR PARIS HEROICS

Published Fri 23 Aug 2024

Australian young gun javelin thrower Jackson Hamilton has national representation in his blood. Following in his Dad Glenn’s footsteps, an Olympic Beach Volleyballer, Hamilton has been dreaming of representing Australia at the Paralympics since he was 12 and is primed to accomplish that and more in Paris.

Buoyed by an incredible 18-month string of performances, Hamilton (Grant Ward, UWA Athletics) is quickly becoming a familiar face on the Australian team and at the Paris Paralympics will be looking to establish his presence with gold.

Reflecting on his journey, preparation and poise are two words embedded in the young man’s mind. No stranger to a podium finish, Hamilton has found a new gear in 2024 to launch himself into serious medal contention.

Starting his year in the best way possible, the F13 Javelin thrower opened 2024 with 62.50m and 62.43m performances, just shy of the Paralympic A qualifier, before unleashing a 68.43m throw in February.

“The last 12 months have definitely been good, everything is finally coming together,” said Hamilton.

The 21-year-old thrower has since relished the opportunities provided, working hard to continually push and break his Australian and Oceania record consecutively.

“I had a couple of years where I was working really hard, and it was a little bit up and down, but I knew that if I stuck to it, eventually the changes I made would be evident like in throwing that PB.”

“It has been really rewarding to throw such a big PB this season knowing all the hard work from the last couple of years has paid off.”

The breakout season saw the Australian record holder make his debut in the green and gold at the 2023 Paris World Para Athletics Championships, before backing it up nine months later at the 2024 Kobe World Para Athletics Championships.

However, Hamilton’s success hasn’t come without trials. Speaking openly about his visual impairment, the UWA athlete has been dealt more than a few curve balls in his career, including a detached retina on the morning of his international debut at the 2019 Arafura Games. Working hard with his team to overcome and deal with each trial, Hamilton has adapted training regimes to deal with symptoms as they come.

“I get visual symptoms like floaters and flashes in my general life and training and exercise for whatever reason just seems to elevate those symptoms and pain.”

In addition to his fulltime efforts to claim gold in Paris, Hamilton has kept himself busy away from the track. After recently graduating from Notre Dame with a Sport Science degree, the keen learner doubled down his effort by returning to the books to start a physiotherapy degree in addition to his Paralympic preparation.

“I like having quite a lot on my plate because it means I have to have a strict routine in order to achieve everything and look after myself, but it’s good in a way because I am the kind of person who feels better when I have a lot on.”

Reflecting on what Australian fans can expect at the Paris Paralympics, Hamilton’s humble and mature response highlights a bright future for the young thrower. Admitting that he is simply “just doing what I enjoy doing and it’s so much fun for me”, Hamilton is ready to embrace his Paralympic dream.

“I have been training for [Paris] for the last few years and it is finally here, and I am just really ready and excited to perform and go through the whole process and be with my teammates and enjoy the trip.”

The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games are set to take place from the 29th of August to the 8th of September, with the athletics action getting underway from the 30th.    

To follow Jackson’s journey and stay up to date with the Paris Paralympic schedules, results and updates, follow the Athletics West Facebook and Instagram pages.    