Joseph Deng

After narrowly missing the Tokyo team, Australian 800m recordholder Joseph Deng makes his Olympic debut in Paris.

Joseph Deng was born in a refugee camp in Kenya after his mother left South Sudan to escape war. At age six his family moved to Australia, settling in Toowoomba where he ran his first race aged nine. Aged 12, he moved to Ipswich in 2010 and attended Raceview State School, where a school mate encouraged him to attend after-school athletics coaching at Ipswich Grammar. There he met his first coach Di Sheppard who nurtured his talent. Also, key in his development was uncle John Deng, who he lived with at Redbank.

Over the next five years Joe developed under Di’s coaching and support from the school in the form of a scholarship. By his late teens he was already running quick times. He was selected in the Australian team for the 2016 World Juniors, where he just missed making the 800m final placing third in his semi. He closed his junior years with a PB of 1:46.51. 

While still a teenager at the 2018 National Championships/CG trials he faced the challenging 800m progression to the final of only the five heat winners and fastest three non-winners. He was drawn in Luke Mathews’ heat - the favourite for the event. He ran a good time of 1:47.52 and placed second, but was unfortunately the fourth fastest non-winner, meaning he missed qualification for the final. He did however qualify for the B final. It was his only chance to impress the selectors, so he ran from the front to win by nearly two seconds in a significant PB of 1:45.71. It was also a CG A qualifier and faster that Mathews who won the A race. A week later, the selectors named the teenager as the third athlete in the 800m for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. He did however have to endure a selection appealed from Jeff Riseley.

One of the oldest records in the books was the men’s Australian 800m mark set by Ralph Doubell when winning the 1968 Olympic title, in a then World record.

Victorian 800m coach Justin Rinaldi had guided Alex Rowe to 1:44.40 – equal with the record, four years earlier. 
"We definitely had a pact this year that we didn't want that record to see its 50th birthday. We had until October,” recalled Justin.

Post Commonwealth Games Joe Deng and training partner Peter Bol set out on a mission in Europe. Peter Bol, started best opening with 1:44.56, after a late call up to race in Stockholm. Joe was looking strong running times of 1:44.97, 1:44.61, 1:45.70 and 1:44.67.
The next race for both athletes was Monaco. Hopes were high and even coach Rinaldi made a dash from Australia to watch the race live. Joe Deng placed seventh, but nailed the Australian record clocking 1:44.21, Peter was 10th in 1:46.64. 
"As a coach, I'm really proud because I think that's a bit of a monkey we have had on our back for the past 50 years.”

In a big racing schedule in 2019, Joe was in the 1:45s but just missed qualification for the world championships. Into the 1:45s again in 2020 COVID cancelled most competitions. Unwell in 2021, Joe was unable to challenge for Olympic selection. 

After a modest start to his 2022 campaign it all came together in June, clocking 1:44.69, his fastest time for four years and securing a world championships and Commonwealth Games qualifier. But he would eventually withdraw from the Australian teams due to an Achilles issue. 

In 2023 he complied a series of strong results in June and July including three sub-1:45 times. But the highlight was on July 8 in France where he broke the Australian 800m record, he had held five years earlier in 2018. He clocked 1:43.99 to take 0.01 seconds off the mark held by his former training partner Peter Bol. In August he was named in the 800m for the World Championships, progressing to the semi-finals.

His 2024 campaign was hampered by injury and withdrew from the World Indoors team. In June he was back racing, clocking 1:46.41 in Vienna.