Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners welcomed the reigning discus world champion to the county this month. Australian Dani Samuels had been competing in the Birmingham Athletics Grand Prix on July 9 and 10, a tournament in which she threw her season’s best throw of 62m coming third overall, missing out on second spot by 30cm.
Dani managed to fit in a two-day stop in Hertfordshire in between the grand prix and heading to Cologne to do last minute preparation for the next Diamond League meeting in Monaco on July 22.
During her visit to Hertfordshire, Dani did strength and conditioning training at the Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield, one of our venues approved for pre-Games training. Her accommodation costs were met by the Ramada Hotel in Hatfield.
Dani described the facilities in Hertfordshire as “just what she needed”. When asked about what she is hoping to achieve in Monaco, Dani said: “I’m looking to be more consistent, and improve on the season’s best throw I did in Birmingham at the weekend.”
On July 12, Dani went to Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn Garden City, another of the county’s approved pre-games training venues, to practice her throwing. Renee Hector and Michael Pope, part of the Herts Talented Young Athletes Programme, came along to watch Dani train and also to pick up tips from her and her coach about how to improve their discus throwing technique.
Renee in particular said that she learnt a lot from the visit about the positioning and use of hips and how not to push any one particular area of the body too hard in training as this can result in injury.
Director of Sport at The University of Hertfordshire, Nick Brooking said, “It is not every day that young athletes get to meet the elite stars of their discipline. Today has been like a dream come true for Renee and Michael as not only is Dani an incredible athlete she is the reigning discus world champion. I’m sure that our talented young athletes will never forget this meeting and the advice Dani has given them.”
Chairman of the Hertfordshire is Ready for Winners Partnership, Derrick Ashley said, “The partnership was more than happy to help when Dani got in touch wanting to stay and train in Hertfordshire. Two of our pre-games training camps have now had a reigning world champion training there which is a fantastic opportunity to put themselves, as well as the county’s facilities, on the map. Dani was great, taking time out of her training to talk to the talented young athletes. The partnership raises funds for the talented athlete scheme wherever possible but this was a priceless opportunity for the two athletes to meet the world best in their discipline and we were delighted to arrange for them to meet.”
