Canberra hurdler Lauren Wells will base herself in Brisbane this week and have a training session with a long-jump guru as she continues to weigh up a Commonwealth Games double-jumps bid.
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Hurdling specialist Wells achieved her second Commonwealth Games B qualifying distance in long jump last weekend in a promising sign for her hopes of competing in the two events on the Gold Coast next year.
The 29-year-old will work with Gary Bourne, Australia's Olympic jumps coach, this week in another step along her unlikely path, but the Games schedule could be the final obstacle on her quest.
"I'm still jumping ... I had a really good series of jumps in Canberra [on Saturday] and that's why I'm going to Brisbane for another competition this weekend," Wells said.
"I'm going up earlier so I can get in a session with Gary Bourne, he's sort of the jumps guru in Australian athletics. He's coached some fantastic athletes in the past.
"I really wanted to make the most of the opportunity by going up there early and getting some advice from him.
"In terms of my plans for next year ... I'm still not too sure. There's a possibility I could to the hurdles and the long jump at [the national titles], but the likelihood of doing both at the Commonwealth Games is very slim given they're both in the same evening session."
Wells, a 10-time 400 metres hurdles Australian champion, secured her second 'B' qualifying distance when she leapt 6.39 metres at the Woden Athletics Track.
It followed her 6.44 metres effort at Woden in October and the chance to compete in a new event is helping fuel Wells to greater heights in the lead up to a home Commonwealth Games.
Wells is yet to commit to her athletics future beyond the Games on the Gold Coast and a two-event campaign could be a perfect end to an impressive career if Wells opts to finish her career.
But for now the two-time Olympian is simply focused on squeezing as much knowledge out of Bourne and continuing to work with coach Matt Beckenham to pursue her Gold Coast goals.
The Beckenham squad, which also includes sprinter Melissa Breen, will continue training through the holiday period to ensure they are in peak condition for the Games trials.
"I'll start ramping up the hurdles in the new year. I'll be competing in a Queensland local meet this weekend," Wells said.
"I'll make the most of it and see what I can do up there. We get Christmas off, but we're training the day before and the day after.
"If that means we get one up on our competitors, that's better for us. It's pretty much business as usual."
