Bendigo last played host to the State Multi-Event Championships in 2010 and so it was great to be back at Latrobe University Bendigo Athletics Complex for this year’s event. Little Athletics Victoria and its members are always given a warm welcome by the City of Greater Bendigo (CoGB) and the local community.
Bendigo can be hot and dry at this time of year and so it was no surprise when the early weather forecasts came true. As the mercury predictions continued to climb nearer the event, Little Athletics Victoria and Athletics Victoria conducted a review of possible event changes. Unfortunately, due to existing commitments with both dates and venues at this busy time of year, no alternative options were available.
The next best option was to make some changes and modifications to the event, and the following contingencies were put in place: a revised program, additional shade areas, misting fans, a water slide and also free access to the Bendigo Aquatic Centre. The principal concern for every LAVic event is the health and safety of our athletes, officials and volunteers.
The Multi-Event is always an exciting spectacle with sprints, jumps and throws happening at any one time. As part of Little Athletics Victoria’s 50 year celebrations the State Multi-Event was keenly contested with over 500 athletes in the U9 to U16 age groups taking part. Attendance figures were down based on registration, however, those athletes competing were given the highest priority for the weekend. Proper hydration and staying cool were the order of the day and the water slide and misting fans proved a big hit with athletes and parents. Our excellent First Aid team was also on hand throughout the weekend.
The weekend’s event program began promptly at 8.00am on Saturday morning with participants from 80 Centres from around Victoria taking part. There was also an U6-U8 Skills Clinic in conjunction with the main program that attracted interest from budding contestants throughout the state. Thanks to the dedication of all our Centre Team Managers and the fantastic parents who volunteered their time over the weekend, the event program progressed quickly and smoothly throughout both days.
The Under 9-11 athletes got through their full program without the heat break on Saturday, allowing the Under 15-16 athletes plenty of space to kick off their Day 1 program at 5:30pm. The Day 2 program for the Under 12-16 age groups, that included a number of Athletics Victoria athletes, got underway at the earlier time of 7:30am in order to capitalize on cooler morning weather. The heat did not seem to deter from any athlete’s performances and probably assisted with 6 VBP’s (Victorian Best Performances) pending approval in the system.
There were certainly a lot of tired bodies at the end of the weekend – athletes, parents, volunteers and officials alike! Fortunately, with the help of the heat policies put in place and the dedication of everyone involved on the event, there were no serious incidents over the weekend. Instead there were a lot smiling faces after yet another enjoyable Little Aths State Championships.
Congratulations to all the athletes who gave it their all and put in an amazing effort at this year’s Multis. LAVic would also like to thank everyone for their continued support of this event and we look forward to seeing you at Track & Field in March.
A collection of photographs from the weekend are now up on our Little Aths Facebook Page for you to enjoy
http://on.fb.me/14NqOqt. Full results are available on our Live Results page
http://bit.ly/1ittvCa
