ATHLETICS: There were numerous outstanding performances at the Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane with plenty of athletes securing selection for the World Championship in August and many records being broken along the way by old and new faces of Australian athletics. See daily wraps below courtesy of Athletics Australia.
Riseley creates history with 800m/1500m double - Sunday wrap
Jeff Riseley (Vic) has become the first man in 24 years to win the 800m/1500m double at the Australian Athletics Championships, as a further six athletes, including Olympic champion Sally Pearson (Qld), confirmed their selection to the Australian Flame team bound for Beijing 2015.
Stopping the clock in 3:43.8 (hand-timed) to take line honours from Ryan Gregson (NSW, second, 3:44.7) and Joshua Wright (NSW, third, 3:45.4), Riseley’s win in the 1500m sits alongside the gold medal he won in the 800m. He is the first man to do so since former national 1500m record holder Simon Doyle.
“The aim was to win two in Australia. Running well when I’m here means a lot to me, it’s where a lot of the boys that I do the hard miles with compete, but with 80 metres to go I thought geez and then with 30 or so to go I had a quick look, and I was like, yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy after a race,” Riseley said.
“It shows how good a shape I am in and I’m happy. We probably haven’t had an athlete since Simon that could do both, and it makes me feel good that I am in that sort of company. I’ve stepped up that little bit this year and I want to take that momentum through to Europe.”
Bursting from the blocks after withdrawing from the women’s 100m as a precaution, Pearson clocked a meet record of 12.71 (w: -0.7) to move through to the round-of-eight as the fastest qualifier. Launching from lane four in the final, she started strongly and never looked back to cross and win her seventh Australian 100m hurdles crown in 12.59 (w: +1.3) and confirm her automatic selection to Beijing 2015, where she will look to improve on the silver medal she won in Moscow (RUS) two years ago.
Michelle Jenneke (NSW) was an impressive silver medallist. A finalist at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2012, the 21-year-old clocked an IAAF World Championships qualifier of 12.92 (w: +1.2) to win the second heat, before returning for the final and dropping an impressive 12.82 (w: +1.3) to stake a serious claim for selection to the IAAF World Championships.
“It’s nice to feel happy after a race, that’s for sure. It was a terrible first five hurdles but I knew Michelle was right there and I had to just focus on myself, worry about what I had to do to be the best hurdler today and that’s what happened,” Pearson said.
“In the 100m, towards the end of the heat last night I started to feel tightness in my hamstring and as soon as I crossed I knew that I shouldn’t run the final. It was a smart decision to not start. If I had have run there was a 95% chance that nothing would have happened but I didn’t want to risk that, I’ve had too much of that over the last few years and it’s about being smart.”
“I always wanted to run this fast at the end of the season, I don’t like to run too fast at the beginning, because it’s better to do it now. And I know that there is something more there for later in the year, there’s a bunch of training that I haven’t done yet to get my speed up. It’s exciting to be running like this for sure,” Jenneke said.
“I was in the mindset that I could be with Sally, that if I could stick with her as long as I could and she would help me pull through with a good time and that’s exactly what happened. I’m really pumped.”
Not to be outdone were debutants from the Commonwealth Games, Nicholas Hough (NSW) and Ella Nelson (NSW).
Hough, who won silver at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2012, stormed home in the final of the men’s 110m hurdles to record a personal best and his first Beijing 2015 qualifier of 13.42 (w: +1.5), while Nelson won her maiden national 200m title in an IAAF World Championships qualifying time of 23.04 (w: +1.6). Both will be automatically selected to the Australian Flame team, delivering their second consecutive appearance in an individual event at a major championship.
Lauren Wells (ACT) rounded out the automatic selections for Beijing 2015 on track when she won an eighth gold medal in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Australian Athletics Championships. She crossed the line in 56.51, with the silver medal won by Satomi Kubokura (JPN, 57.16) and the bronze by Betty Burua (PNG, 58.02).
A throw of 64.44m in the women’s discus throw for Dani Samuels (NSW) added a tenth national crown in the event to her trophy cabinet and confirms her fifth consecutive appearance in the green and gold at the IAAF World Championships. It also caps off an impressive Australian Athletics Tour for Samuels, with back-to-back wins at the Adelaide Track Classic (65.20m), the Queensland Track Classic (64.14m) and the Australian Athletics Tour Final (66.21m) in Sydney (NSW).
“You blink and you miss it, it just goes by so quickly. I’m really excited for the European season now, and then on to the World Championships. That’s the next big thing,” Samuels said.
“I’m very happy with the domestic season. I’ve had a couple of 65 metre throws, a couple of 64’s and a 66 too. That’s all I can ask for. I’ve improved at each Track Classic and I’ve been quite consistent so I am looking forward to getting over there and seeing what I can do.”
Competing in the women’s high jump, Eleanor Patterson (Vic) entered the competition at 1.88m and made light work of the height before another first attempt clearance at her winning mark of 1.91m. She missed all three attempts at the Beijing 2015 qualifier of 1.94m, but two previous leaps over that mark, including a 1.96m clearance at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, ensure her addition to the Australian Flame for the IAAF World Championships.
In other results on the final day at the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships:
- Robbie Crowther (Qld) won the men’s long jump gold medal with a season best leap of 8.05m (w: +0.5), as Yohei Sugai (JPN, 8.00m) won silver and national junior champion Darcy Roper (Qld) bronze. Based on complete 2014 rankings and performances to date in 2015, Roper’s jump of 7.91m (w: +1.6) ensures he sits clear as the best under 18 aged athlete in the world, providing a real confidence boost for the 17-year-old as he prepares for the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali (COL).
- Chelsea Jaensch (Qld) won her maiden Australian long jump title with a leap of 6.74m (w: +3.2) from Brooke Stratton (Vic, second, 6.60m) and Corinna Minko (Vic, third, 6.34m).
- Jacko Gill (NZL) threw 20.75m to win the men’s shot put, with Damien Birkinhead (Vic) the best placed Australian in second. He threw 19.04m.
- Throwing 80.00m, Matt Outzen (NSW) reigned supreme in the men’s javelin. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Hamish Peacock (Tas) won silver with a throw of 79.55m, while Ben Langton-Burnell (NZL) won bronze (73.46m).
Competition in Brisbane on Sunday brings to a close the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships, as well as the Australian Athletics Tour. Attention now shifts to the initial announcement of the Australian Flame team for the IAAF World Championships later this week, before the IAAF World Relays in Nassau (BAH) in early May and the commencement of the IAAF Diamond League series in Doha (QAT).
A stunning six confirm their selection for Beijing 2015 - Saturday wrap
Melissa Breen (ACT) is the national 100m champion and one of six athletes on their way to Beijing 2015 after a huge night of track and field at the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane on Saturday.
Adding a third Australian 100m title to her burgeoning trophy cabinet, Breen will be joined at the IAAF World Championships by Alana Boyd (Qld, pole vault), Jeff Riseley (Vic, 800m), Brandon Starc (NSW, high jump), Kim Mickle (WA, javelin) and Julian Wruck (Qld, discus throw).
Breen was the fastest qualifier for the round-of-eight after crossing the line in an IAAF World Championships qualifying time of 11.31 (w: +1.8) in the semi-final, and the clear favourite for the win considering Sally Pearson (Qld) withdrew from the final as a precaution ahead of a scheduled start in the women’s 100m hurdles on Sunday.
In the final, she moved past the quickest starter Toea Wisil (Qld/PNG, second, 11.40) with ease and never looked back, crossing the line in 11.26 (w: +0.9) to ensure her automatic selection and the gold medal.
“I’m so freakin’ happy. It has been such an up and down time since I broke the record, but I’ve stuck to what my coach (Matt Beckenham) said about going with a longer build-up. I have run faster from the heat, to the semi, to the final and that’s a great result. Booking myself an automatic spot was a goal. It’s so awesome. I am so happy,” Breen said.
The men’s event was won by 19-year-old Josh Clarke (NSW), who smashed his personal best to reign supreme 10.19 (w: +1.1). The silver medal was won by Banuve Tabakaucoro (FIJ, 10.26), with Alex Hartmann (Qld, 10.30) the winner of the bronze.
Competing in the women’s pole vault, Boyd broke the 16-year-old championship record of Emma George to win her fourth Australian pole vault title, in front of a home crowd, from Nina Kennedy (WA, second, 4.20m) and Melissa Gergel (USA, third, 4.20m). Entering the competition at 4.35m, her clearance of 4.60m also delivered a second consecutive IAAF World Championships qualifier after she sailed over 4.50m to win at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge last weekend.
“That was fantastic. It has been a long time coming. The conditions were a little bit tough at the start but they improved, and I felt good coming off Melbourne where I got the qualifier done and got the monkey off my back a bit. It came together tonight, and it’s great that that is at the Nationals,” Boyd said.
“The last attempt at 4.70m was OK. If I had have jumped like I did at my winning height I probably would have cleared it. My Dad (coach Ray Boyd) said that that jump was one of the best I’ve ever done so that’s nice to know as well.”
Riseley made his dash for Australian championship gold in the men’s 800m with just shy of 200 metres to go and after taking the lead on the straight he remained unchallenged to win in 1:47.13. The national record holder Alex Rowe (Vic, 1:48.14) won silver, and Josh Ralph (NSW, 1:48.38) the bronze.
His victory cements his position on the team bound for the IAAF World Championships and sets him up for an 800m/1500m double here at the Nationals.
Starc soared over 2.28m in the men’s high jump, with his winning clearance a second qualifier for Beijing 2015 after the 2.30m he jumped at the Sydney Track Classic earlier this Australian Athletics Tour. It adds a second national crown to his athletics resume. He entered the competition at 2.05m and enjoyed clearances at 2.10m, 2.15m, 2.20m and 2.25m before third attempt success at his winning height.
Second placed behind international starter Sunette Viljoen (RSA, 63.29m), Mickle threw 61.02m to become Australian champion and ensure her automatic selection. Kelsey-Lee Roberts (ACT) rounded out the top-three with a throw of 58.61m. Mickle’s win is her tenth in the women’s javelin at the Australian Athletics Championships.
The first to ensure his automatic selection today, Wruck threw 62.03m to take out the men’s discus throw from impressive junior Matthew Denny (Qld, second, 57.16m) and his fellow local Matt Stopel (Qld, third, 57.55m). Boasting a qualifier of 65.54m at the commencement of competition, the two-time NCAA champion Wruck’s series also included marks of 62.03m. 61.90m, 61.27m and two fouls.
“This is a good result, but now it’s about going back into basic training now and finding the form that I had toward the end of last year. It’ll be about running and stretching, losing a little bit of weight and getting back to where I want to be,” Wruck said.
“In Moscow two years ago I finished 11th, which is technically a final, but I want to finish in the top-eight. My goal is to not let the crowd get to me, and to throw beyond where I have. I want to throw what I know I can.”
Denny becomes youngest ever Australian hammer throw champion
The talented junior Matthew Denny (Qld) has become the youngest ever Australian hammer throw champion after he threw 69.15m to win gold at the 93rd Australian Athletics Championships in Brisbane (Qld) on Friday.
Taking to the cage for what was a straight final, the two-time IAAF World Youth Championship medallists Denny hit his winning mark, which fell just short of the personal best he threw at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge, with his first attempt before continuing through his series with back-to-back fouls, a 68.66m throw, a 67.34m throw and a 67.34m mark to close.
Denny is 18-years-old, with this win delivering him his first open age Australian title. The performance follows his three gold medals in the shot put, discus and hammer throw at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships two weeks ago.
“To get over the 69 metres mark was something that I am pretty happy with. I’ve come away with my first national title, which is great, and now I can rest up and get ready for the discus tomorrow,” Denny said.
“I had a couple of issues before comp, but what happens then you have just to forget about and I was still able to throw pretty decent which is a great thing.”
In the women’s hammer throw final, Commonwealth Games finalist Lara Neilsen (Qld) improved her personal best to 66.37m to win her second consecutive national title from Alex Hulley (NSW, second, 63.61m) and Kaysanne Hockey (Qld, third, 59.13m).
Joining Denny on the list of highlights from day two of the Australian Athletics Championships was para-athlete Brydee Moore (Vic), who bettered the world record for her F33 cerebral palsy class secured javelin.
Throwing 10.59m, two centimetres beyond the previous best ever mark, Moore’s performance gives her great confidence ahead of the shot put tomorrow, with this event the one she is chasing selection for at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
“It was awesome. I wasn’t expecting to throw like I did, so it’s amazing. We used to be able to throw in a different way, but in the event now we are completely restricted from using our legs so I thought it would take some time to reach the distances that I had been. It’s very early, and it’s a great surprise,” Moore said.
Riseley was the first past the post in the opening heat of the men’s 1500m, taking victory in a time of 3:46.19 from his training partner Zak Patterson (Vic, second, 3:46.36), before Josh Wright (NSW, 3:45.11) won heat two from Marc See (WA, second, 3:45.63) and Birmingham (third, 3:45.35). Gregson stopped the clock at 3:45.19 to win the last of three heats.
Competing in the women’s 800m, McGowan capably contended with a large field to cross in 2:08.92 and win the first of three heats. Selma Kajan (Vic, 2:05.26) was victorious in the next race from Alicia Keir (NSW, second, 2:05.92) and Hetherington (third, 2:06.46), while Katsanevakis reigned supreme in heat three in 2:07.16.
The final for both the men’s 1500m and the women’s 800m will be held on Sunday.
Frayne was the seventh athlete to jump in his qualifying pool for the men’s long jump and with a performance of 7.73m on his first attempt he barely broke a sweat before automatically advancing to the final. Leaping to 7.63m in the second qualifying group, Crowther’s performance sees him ranked fourth from the ten starters who have progressed to contend for the gold medal on Sunday.
Competition also commenced in the men’s and women’s 100m, with swirling winds delivering frustrating conditions for many of the starters.
The national record holder Melissa Breen (ACT) was the first to advance to the semi-final in the women’s event, stopping the clock at 11.50 (w: +0.3) to win the first heat from Abbie Taddeo (NSW, second, 11.97) and Michelle Cutmore (Qld, third, 12.08). The next heat saw the wind swing to a headwind, with Olympic hurdles champion Sally Pearson (Qld) the winner in 11.63 (w: -0.7).
Glasgow 2014 starter Ash Whittaker (Vic) took line honours in heat three in 11.63 (w: +1.1), while Toea Wisil (Qld/PNG) won heat four in 11.62 (w: -1.3) from Youth Olympic Games representative Sam Geddes (NSW, second, 12.00).
International starter Banuve Tabakaucoro (FIJ, 10.41) progresses to the semi-final as fastest in the men’s 100m event, with Sydney Track Classic winner Joshua Clarke (NSW, 10.44) and Australian under 20 champion Trae Williams (Qld, 10.54) hot on his heels.
In the men’s 400m, Burns and Beck crossed first and second in the third semi-final. The duo clocked 46.83 and 46.86 respectively and will launch from the blocks in the round-of-eight tomorrow.
In other results from day two of the Australian Athletics Championships:
- Celeste Mucci (Vic) ensured her automatic selection to the Australian team for the IAAF World Youth Championships by winning the girl’s under 18 heptathlon event with a point score of 5430 points. Clocking a personal best of 2:35.91 in the 800m to ensure her qualification, the 17-year-old’s seven event series also included a 13.60 run in the 100m hurdles, a 1.68m leap in the high jump, throws of 12.84m and 36.66m in the shot put and javelin respectively, a 25.45 run in the 200m and a 5.76m effort in the long jump.
- A seven-time national champion, Lauren Wells (ACT) ran 56.41 to win the third and final heat of the women’s 400m hurdles and advance as fastest to the final on Sunday. She was the only athlete to break the 57-second barrier and her start here follows her maiden qualifier for the event of 56.19 at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge last weekend.
- Competing for the first time this Australian Athletics Tour, Tristan Thomas (Tas) was first past the post in the third heat of the men’s 400m hurdles in a time of 51.17. He will start as fastest in the final alongside Cameron French (NZL, 51.77) and Tetsuya Tatano (JPN, 51.79).
- Dane Bird-Smith (Qld) stopped the clock at 39:53.89 to win the men’s 10,000m walk, while the women’s race saw Tanya Holliday (SA) take home the national title in a time of 44:56.54.
- Bringing to a close two huge days of competition, David Brock (Vic) was crowned national decathlon champion with a final point score of 7733 points. The silver medal was won by Kyle Cranston (NSW, 7629 points), while Brent Newdick (NZL, 7136 points) won the bronze.
ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA
