Zoe Chester represents Australia at New Taipei City Athletics Open
Townsville long jumper Zoe Chester has taken another significant step in her developing athletics career, representing Australia at the New Taipei City Athletics Open in Chinese Taipei as part of the Australian Athletics U23 Tour.
The 19-year-old Queenslander, coached by Liam Adcock, earned her place on the Australian team after establishing herself as one of the country’s leading young long jumpers. Chester entered the competition with a personal best of 6.20 metres and the opportunity to test herself against a strong international field at a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver-level meeting.
Competing at Banqiao Stadium, Chester produced an impressive performance in the women’s long jump, recording a best leap of 6.13 metres with a legal +0.5m/s wind to secure the bronze medal.
Chester finished behind India’s Shaili Singh, who claimed gold with a 6.24m jump, while Vietnam’s Tran Thi Loan took silver with 6.23m. The podium finish marked a strong result for the young Australian and provided valuable international experience against established athletes from across the region.
The New Taipei City Athletics Open brought together athletes from a range of countries and featured several high-level competitors across the track and field program. The event was held at Banqiao Stadium on 6 and 7 June and formed part of the World Athletics Continental Tour, giving athletes the opportunity to compete for international ranking points and gain experience in a quality senior-level competition.
The international podium continues what has been an exciting period for Chester. Her progression through the Australian athletics pathway has seen her compete at national and international level, building valuable experience as she transitions from junior competition into the senior ranks.
Her selection in the Australian U23 Tour is another important milestone, with international opportunities such as New Taipei providing young athletes with the chance to experience the demands of travelling and competing overseas while testing themselves against athletes from around the world.
Chester’s 6.13m performance in New Taipei is further evidence of her potential and consistency in the long jump, and her bronze-medal finish provides another achievement to build on as she looks towards the next stage of her athletics journey.
Team Townsville is proud to support Zoe through our athlete scholarship program and to play a small part in helping talented local athletes pursue their goals and compete at the highest level. We look forward to following Zoe’s continued progress and celebrating what comes next in her athletics journey.