Gold Coast sprint star Sally McLellan has smashed her own Australian 100m hurdles record in recording the fastest time in the world this year at the World Athletics Tour event in Osaka, Japan.
Gold Coast sprint star Sally McLellan has smashed her own Australian 100m hurdles record in recording the fastest time in the world this year at the World Athletics Tour event in Osaka, Japan.
In a wonderful prelude to this year’s World Championships at the same venue, McLellan, 20, sliced more then two tenths of a second off her best in beating a high class field to clock 12.71 seconds (0.0m/s wind).
The performance makes it two record runs in successive outings. After chasing the long-standing Australian record all summer, McLellan finally eclipsed Pam Ryan’s 1972 best, running 12.92 at the Telstra Australian Championships in March.
Her time is the fastest in the world for 2007, easily bettering American Michelle Perry’s 12.82 set at the World Athletics Tour opener in Melbourne in March. Lolo Jones (12.86) and Danielle Carruthers (12.90), both from the USA, filled the placings with Queensland’s Fiona Cullen fifth in 13.24.
McLellan was thrilled with the win, her first in an international World Tour event, let alone her stunning time.
"I just let it flow, I really wanted to concentrate on my own race and I really put it all together. I got a great start and just seemed to get faster – I was literally flying."
"To smash the Australian record is a great feeling and to beat the Americans is always nice. I’ve won a World Tour event, beaten the Americans and broken the Australian record all in the one race, it’s an amazing feeling," McLellan said.
McLellan will now race in the next leg of the IAAF World Tour in Doha, Qatar next Friday before returning to Australia ahead of the World Championships in Osaka in August.
McLellan’s day began in outstanding fashion, leading the Australian 4 x100m relay team to a World Championships qualifying time.
The team of McLellan, Cullen, Crystal Attenborough and Melissa Kay easily reached the World Championships qualifying time of 43.90, producing a quick 43.62 seconds, the fastest time by an Australian women’s relay team since 2000.
The men have already cemented their place in Osaka.
Tasmanian Donna MacFarlane produced a personal best and new Tasmanian record to finish fourth in the 1500m.
MacFarlane, who will race over her preferred 3000m steeplechase in Doha next week, recorded 4:12.22.
Victorian Jeff Riseley finished second in a slow 800m, running 1:49.60 behind American Nick Simmonds who won in 1:49.45.
In the men's 100 metres, Japan's Shingo Suetsugu won in 10.23 seconds ahead of four-time national 100m champion Joshua Ross in 10.37 with Japan's Nobuharu Asahara third in 10.38.
Crystal Attenborough finished third in the 100m in 11.53, behind the Cayman Island's Cydonie Mothersill (11.33) who casued a boilover to defeat world champion Lauryn Williams (USA) with 11.44.
World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner was quick out the blocks and never looked in trouble on his way to a fast time of 44.02 seconds to win the 400m. American Darold Williamson was second in 44.68 and Victorian Sean Wroe third in 45.58.
2007 Australian long jump champion Tim Parravicini was the best of the Australians in the long jump, finishing second with 7.90m, behind South African Godfrey Mokoena’s 8.18m.
Chris Noffke was fourth with 7.82m and World Junior champion Robbie Crowther fifth with 7.77m.
Kane Brigg jumped 2.15m for sixth in the high jump and Alana Boyd no-heighted in the pole vault.
Adam Miller finished fifth in the 200m in 21.01 and Brendan Cole finished seventh in the 400m hurdles in 49.90.
The next leg of the IAAF World Tour will be held in Doha, Qatar next Friday.
Athletics Australia
