By JARROD POTTER
IN THE time it took to read this sentence, Molly Hallam became a world champion.
Hallam, 11, from Clyde, earned her second world championship in speed stacking – a high tempo sport that’s over in the blink of an eye and requires a deft touch and sleight of hand.
Her time in the 3-3-3 event at the World Speed Stacking Association World Sport Stacking Championships in Orlando, Florida, which required her to stack three sets of three cups up and down as quickly as possible, was 2.049 seconds, was enough to take victory in the 11-12 girls 3-3-3 category.
Stacking in reverse time order for the final, Molly wanted to finish a little lower in the preliminaries to put some serious pressure on her faster qualifying opponents, a strategy which paid off for the St Margaret’s School student.
“For the 333 what I wanted to get in was sixth place so I could put pressure on people with fastest times,” Molly said.
“On finals day that’s how it went as I got a good time – I got 2.04 and that was enough – and another girl who was faster couldn’t hit that time.
“It was quite nerve-wracking as I didn’t know if I was going to win, but when I found out I won I was pretty excited.”
She’s now a dual world champion in speed stacking – having won the under-nine girls 3-6-3 championship in 2011.
Winning two world championships and a number of Australian titles and records is even more impressive considering she’s only been a speed stacker since picking it up at school in her prep year.
“I started at my school in prep and bought my first set of cups and kept practicing and then my dad got the company and I got more involved and started going overseas to represent my country,” Molly said.
Bringing back a swag full of medals, Molly also won two silvers in the relays, bronze in the in 3-6-3 and a relay and fourth in the cycle.
To cap off the achievements, Molly paired with her dad Ty to finish seventh in the parent-child cycle doubles.
For more information on the sport, visit www.speedstacks.com.au.
