Wollongong Teen's Hammer Throw Triumph: From Discus to National Champion
Fifteen-year-old Sidney Bartle has achieved what many athletes dream of in a remarkably short time. The Wollongong teenager only began experimenting with hammer throw towards the end of 2023, yet she has already secured a national championship title and set her sights firmly on Olympic competition.
An Unexpected Discovery in the Rain
Sidney's journey into hammer throw wasn't part of any grand plan. The young athlete had been dedicated to discus for six years, having worked her way up through various age groups after initial struggles in under-11 competitions. "I was on top of everything in the under-8s, and then I was bad at everything in the under-11s," Sidney recalls of her early athletics days. "I didn't want to be bad anymore, so I worked to get better in every age group I moved into."
Her introduction to hammer throw came unexpectedly during a visit to Athletics Wollongong. "I went to Athletics Wollongong one night and they had hammer on," she explains. "I wasn't going to do it, but I tried it anyway in the pouring rain ... picked up a hammer, threw it 16 metres, and thought 'ok I'll do this now.'" That spontaneous decision in wet conditions marked the beginning of what would become her primary athletic focus.
Rapid Rise Through National Ranks
Since that rainy night, Sidney's progress has been nothing short of extraordinary. She has competed in three consecutive national championships for both discus and hammer throw, with the latter becoming her main priority. "I just kept at it and things have turned out this way," she says. "I still do discus now, but not as much as hammer, so it's kind of taken a back seat in terms of my priorities."
The teenager acknowledges her initial technique was "pretty clunky" but has since developed significantly. "Sometimes I look at [film] and think, 'whoa, it's a big difference in like a small amount of time,'" she admits. Her dedication to improvement is evident in her training approach: "You don't do 100 of throws every day. You do a few, try and get it right, and then come back the next day and try to perfect it even more."
Breaking the 50-Metre Barrier
In April 2025, Sidney recorded a personal best of 49.30 metres, which motivated her to break the 50-metre mark. She achieved this goal just eight months later at the All Schools national championships in Melbourne with a winning throw of 50.93 metres – only 20 centimetres shy of the competition record.
"I'd been working on [throwing 50m] since April, and I knew I really wanted to get it in competition rather than at training, so I was really happy," Sidney shares. "I'd say [I expected it] because the training sessions before nationals were good, and I was feeling really hyped."
Growing Interest in Hammer Throw
Sidney has noticed increasing interest in hammer throw among younger athletes, which contrasts with her early experiences. "When I started, I would have to look up to people in the under-18s and under-20s," she says. "Now, these smaller clubs have more people starting to try it and we have more throwers showing interest in hammer."
She credits Australian Olympians like Stephanie Ratcliffe with helping generate interest in the sport through their achievements. "The more people you have to watch and learn from, it makes you want it more and influences you," Sidney observes about the importance of role models in developing sports.
Balancing Athletics and Education
Despite her demanding training schedule, Sidney successfully manages her athletic commitments alongside her schoolwork. During peak competition season, she trains five times weekly at the track, supplemented by gym sessions and technique-focused practice. Her rest days typically fall on Sundays and Mondays.
"I spend maybe an hour and a half down here every session, and then I go home with enough time to fit in school stuff," she explains. "I manage to get all my work done." This balance between sport and education demonstrates her discipline and time management skills.
International Aspirations
Sidney's next target is the Oceania Championships, though she missed the 2026 event due to age restrictions – she was nearly a full year below the under-18 minimum cutoff. Undeterred, she's focusing on 2028 as her opportunity. "I'll have a chance to learn the under-18s division, get the throws, and I should be able to squeeze into a spot on the team," she says confidently.
Her ultimate ambition extends to Olympic competition. "I want to get a bit stronger, get my technique a bit better, and I'm thinking about Oceania championships in two years' time ... to compete internationally and maybe at the Olympics if I can," Sidney reveals. Her journey from that rainy night at Athletics Wollongong to national champion suggests these aspirations are well within reach for this determined young athlete.
