James Hansen heads to Brussels on Wednesday with his sights firmly fixed on two other European capitals.
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Launceston's middle-distance running champion is hoping a combination of career-best form, single-minded dedication and extensive community support will see him qualify for the athletics world championships in Budapest later this year and ultimately the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Recording the third-fastest Launceston 10 time ever (28:20) earlier this month convinced the 29-year-old that the time was right to throw everything behind his dream.
"If I keep breaking through, it really feels like the next level is making national teams and making those big championships," he said.
"I definitely have to keep improving but it's becoming closer and it's cool when you start doing things not many people have done. After Launnie 10, I was reading through previous times and guys like Ben St Lawrence, Liam Adams, even Steve Moneghetti hadn't run close to 28:20 in a 10k on the road and that blew me away because I never thought I'd run anywhere near those guys.
"I only broke 30 minutes for 10k four or five years ago. I was probably 25-26 and people sometimes say that's past it, but I've actually got better in my late 20s. Some of my biggest PBs have been since then."
Hansen's personal best times in every distance from 1500 metres to 10km have all been set in the last year and he believes he can achieve required benchmarks when the qualification period opens on July 1.
Required times of 3:34.20 (1500m) and 13:07 (5000m) may be a fair bit beyond Hansen's PBs of 3:37.61 and 13:34.12, but the former Riverside Primary, High and Launceston College student can also earn selection off his ranking in the events.
His European schedule will begin with a 1500m in Finland on July 4 followed by a 5km in Belgium on July 15 with plenty more to follow.
"They've made the qualification times really hard so half the people get in on rankings and the other half on qualifiers," he explained.
"So I'm probably going to have to run about 13:15 maybe twice to get in on ranking. That's tough, but I took 30 seconds off my 10k in Launnie. It's a big jump but I feel like I've got a lot of room to improve in the 5k. I don't put too much pressure on myself but I know I'm in the best shape of my life and you just don't know what's going to come out until you get there so you've just got to give yourself a shot.
"I might as well go while the iron's hot and I'm in good form."
The first home-state winner of the Launceston 10, Hansen is self-coached but grateful for support from the Tasmanian Institute of Sport, the Team Tempo Olympic Development Squad run by Adam Didyk and the local community in Launceston, especially Buckby Motors.
"For someone who has done it on my own for so long to have people locally picking me up just makes me feel part of a team and I've always wanted to inspire people from Launnie that you can do it from here. I've got my best results living here," he said.
"It's huge to get this support because I can go over there and relax and I think that will make a massive difference and if I have to stay an extra few weeks I can do that."
Hansen, who works 30 hours per week for Telstra and squeezes 6km runs into his 30-minute lunchbreaks, could be part of a Tasmanian dream scenario in the Australian athletics team with King Islander Stewart McSweyn also targeting similar distances having finished seventh in the fastest 1500m in Olympic history in Tokyo.
"That would be unreal," he added. "I think on the rankings we are one and two ever for Tassie in these events so to be coming up in the same timeframe is amazing and Stewy's definitely been leading the way. I look at his records and tell myself 'You're not even close yet' and it's funny how that inspires me.
"He's run 12:55 and 3:29 and that's what you have to do to break the Tassie record whereas four years ago I had that (1500m) record and now it's been taken to that level.
"We went to World Junior Games together and worked together as lifeguards back in the day in Melbourne. We've run Christmas Carnivals together but have probably only had about four races against each other.
"Competition for places is very strong but I feel Stewy might not even do 5k so it could actually be very open. That's why I've chosen the 5k, there is probably a spot or two. I'm just going to put myself where I think I'm the best chance."
Buckby Motors director Ben Newman said the company was thrilled to support Hansen, adding: "His story of resilience and dedication is inspiring, and we believe in his potential to make an impact on the international stage."
HANSEN'S PBs
- 1500m: 3:37.61 Kortrijk (BEL) July 9, 2022
- Mile: 3:57.20 Melbourne (AUS) February 23, 2023
- 3000m: 7:50.28 Sydney (AUS) March 11, 2023
- 5000m: 13:34.12 Oslo (NOR) June 30, 2022
- 10,000m: 29:11.47 Melbourne (AUS) December 15, 2022
- 10km: 28:20 Launceston (AUS) June 11, 2023
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