ANNA McCauley recent became only the second Irish athlete to break the 6000 points barrier in the heptathlon.The result at the Mehrkampf meeting in Switzerland ensured the Belfast teacher booked her placed at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
McCauley, at her first games in Birmingham, finished sixth four years ago and she’ll go into the two day competition at Scotstoun Stadium ranked fourth in the Commonwealth.
“I’m excited for it to be finally announced and then get the ball rolling, I think from Birmingham I’ve learned just to enjoy it.
“I think I struggled a little bit with an injury at the end of the Games,” explained McCauley.
“So I think definitely just get there healthy, have fun and then see what I can do.
”Breaking 6000 points in the heptathlon is the equivalent of a 147 in snooker or a nine dart finish.
“It is amazing just to finally have that breakthrough, I knew I could do it, but there’s a different thing thinking it than actually doing it .
“It brings me higher up in the Commonwealth ranking. I’m just excited to see what I can do against the girls.
“Six Thousand points is kind of just a marker that you’ve had, once you get 6,000 points, you’re up there with the best in Europe, and then some people might not know, but there’s ranking points to get you into the likes of Europeans and Olympic Games.
“Once you score 6,000 points, it allows you to get into those higher ranking competitions, so it kind of opens a lot of doors, but yeah, definitely it’s a huge marker to break and I’m really excited to see what I can do.
”I think it’s a good marker to start the beginning of the season, I think my expectation is to go higher, obviously, but I think I just want to put together every solid event and seven even.
“I think some of the events within that 6,000 I definitely could have improved on due to the environment and stuff when I was there, but I think Glasgow will be a great setting to improve upon it.”
McCauley doesn’t believe reaching the points landmark or shooting up the ranking has put added pressure on her for Glasgow.
“I don’t think it’s put any more pressure on because I think I had pressure on me in Switzerland anyway.
“The main pressure is coming from me. My mum or my coaches wouldn’t put any pressure, just go out and enjoy it.
“It’s nice in that sense. I think I do put a lot of pressure on myself to perform like every athlete does, but I think the same will be there in Glasgow, obviously, there might be a bit more nerves there, but I’m excited to see what I can do.”
McCauley is daring to dream of a podium finish in Glasgow but knows in a seven event competition over two days anything can happen.
“So, I think I’m just going to give it my all and see how it is, I’m excited to see what can happen.”
