A wizard with the scalpel, Sydney surgeon Mackenzie Little has finally become a golden girl with the javelin too as she led one last parade of Commonwealth Games field event medallists in the green-and-gold.
The remarkable 29-year-old Little, a doctor at Northern Beaches hospital, can barely even call herself a part-time athlete these days such is her busy medical life, but she still proved too good for her opponents as the much bemedalled thrower finally lifted a major international title.
She nailed victory with her first throw — and then the amazing Dr Little revealed she’ll be jetting back to return straight to work on Tuesday as an ear, nose and throat registrar.
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On a night when pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall completed Australia’s golden track and field program by soaring to a Games-record 5.85m and a third straight title, Little’s achievement felt even more astonishing.
“I’m so relieved and excited, this is so fantastic. Nailing the first throw is maybe something to do with how my training’s been a bit quality over quantity in the last couple of years,” smiled the double world bronze medallist.
“I wish I could say you know that I’m really, really training my butt off, but I’m just having to fit things in around my job. I’m having to make the most of sometimes challenging situations, not having all the time in the world.
“I perform surgeries, and see outpatients in clinics and take care of our patients who are in the ward sick in hospital. Then in the evenings, I’ll get to training, but I’ve had to change my training locations this year to stay within 30 minutes of the hospital.
“Because when you’re on call, you need to overnight and in the evenings be within 30 minutes of the hospital in case of emergencies. I’m gonna go and fly home straight away and get back to work.”
Speaking to Channel 7, one of Little’s first messages was to her colleagues.
“This has just possibly the best day in a really long time,” Little said.
“My lovely family’s here, I’m absolutely thrilled… I must say a huge thanks to Northern Beaches Hospital ear nose and threat surgery team.
“Everyone from work, everyone who’s taken my shift, my lovely co-registrar. I’m just thrilled.”
Little said being a doctor and an elite competitor has never been more difficult, admitting sometimes she is not living the life of an elite athlete.
“It’s been hard and every single year it’s different, certainly as I progress through my (medical) career the responsibilities increase,” she said.
“I take patient safety and my job really, really seriously but when I get to come and use my (annual) leave strategically to do things like this, I feel like the luckiest person in the world.”
Her future is a year-by-year proposition but the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics loom large.
“It’s been harder this year than any other year,” Little said.
“I’ll just see how it goes. I’m optimistic next year and then LA 2028 is there on the horizon.”
On a tricky night for throwers in the Scotstoun Stadium on the last night of track and field competition, there were no emergencies as Little reckoned her technique of throwing low and hard to cut through the wind helped her to a season best 61.88m with an opener that no one else threatened.
“I couldn’t quite get the distances I would’ve liked on the subsequent throws but it was enough and I’m so thrilled,” she said.
New Zealand silver medallist Tori Moorby hurled 60.08m in the third round to grab the silver while Kenya’s Irene Jepkemboi took the bronze.
Marschall, winner in Gold Coast and Birmingham, finished the whole night in style by becoming only the third Australian ever to win three titles in a row in the same event and ending with a leap that surpassed his hero Steve Hooker’s 5.80m in Melbourne 20 years ago.
Entering the competition late, the hot favourite from Adelaide held his nerve to defeat South African silver medallist Kyle Rademeyer and Engand’s bronze winner Owen Heard (both 5.70m).
It was the latest big achievement for the 29-year-old, who earlier in the season handed a once-in-a-blue-moon defeat to the sport’s ‘GOAT’, Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis.
Melbourne’s Brooke Buschkuehl, the indefatigable 33-year-old mum, also made it a hat-trick of medals, but again missed out on the one she really wanted as she added a bronze in the long jump to go with her two silvers from Gold Coast and Birmingham.
Promising Wollongong teenager Delta Amidzovski, the 19-year-old world junior long jump champion, finished fourth, just five centimetres off a podium place.