It's been a bit of a roller-coaster ride, but Andreas Troschke punched his tickets to both the Canada Summer Games and the national championships after a qualifying meet in Edmonton last weekend.
Troschke was hoping to secure his first Team Canada spot for the 2017 Pan Am U-20 Championships in Peru at the end of July, but missed the mark by 31 cm.
The top two nationally ranked junior athletes who held qualifying standards at the end of June would be eligible to compete. Troschke threw the standard earlier in the year, nabbing the second place spot at the time.
"Which got me very excited," he said, "because a couple years ago I hadn't even thought that I'd be on Team Canada at this point."
But in the interim, another thrower managed to top his distance by 30 cm. That left Troschke with one chance last weekend to better his opponent, needing a throw of 59.85 metres ñ well within his personal best of 61.11 metres. Unfortunately, he came up short.
"That's the painful part of it, you know," said the Olds High School grad. "If I (was) just not able to throw the distance, I would have been able to accept it. But it's just a little upsetting that I know I was right there, and I had it in me to make the team."
"It's more a mental thing than anything else ñ I've never been used to this level of expectation; of having to perform at this level," he said. "It definitely freaked me out and kinda psyched me out a bit."
But the weekend was far from a total failure. The meet was a Team Alberta qualifier for this year's 2017 Canada Summer Games, and Troschke secured his place for both discus and hammer throw, not to mention simultaneously qualifying in both events for the next week's national championships in Ottawa.
Being part of Team Alberta for the Canada Summer Games ñ which take place in Winnipeg from July 28 to Aug. 13 ñ will offer Troschke an opportunity he hasn't had yet: the chance to work with the team's sport psychologist.
"I have all the ability, all the technique, and all the athleticism I need to be an internationally ranked athlete," he said, "but I cannot focus well enough and that's really got to be the next big goal."
The Pan Am championships weren't his last chance for a spot on Team Canada ñ as an 18-year-old, he has one year left to compete at the junior level.
In the fall Troschke is headed to the University of Lethbridge, where he will throw for the Pronghorns under head coach Larry Steinke.
"The coach there is one of the best throws coaches in all of Canada," said Troschke. "I'm really hoping after a year of training and lifting under his programs, I will see a huge improvement."
After the university season, he will have another shot to make the junior national team headed to the IAFF World U-20 Championships in Finland next summer.
"That's what's been so stressful, but also exciting about this process, is that I am yet to have that experience," he said. "It's exciting, it's nerve-racking, it's stressful ñ and hopefully I'll make the team next year."
I've never been used to this level of expectation; of having to perform at this level," he said. "It definitely freaked me out and kinda psyched me out a bit."ANDREAS TROSCHKELOCAL ATHLETE
