25.01.2008

Stars to converge for Australian Athletics Cup

While the focus is on Canberra this week, the cream of Australia and New Zealand’s athletes will head to Brisbane for the Australian Athletics Cup on Saturday, February 2.

The interstate teams event, to be held at Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, proved a hit last year when it came down to the final jump of the last event to find a winner - Victoria narrowly beating Queensland.

Victoria will be hard to beat again this year, with five-time national 200m champion Lauren Hewitt making a comeback alongside seven-time national 800m champion Tamsyn Lewis. Commonwealth shot put champion Scott Martin and former World Youth 1500m champion Georgie Clarke will also be part of the strong Victorian team.

The NSW challenge will be spearheaded by four-time national 100m champion Josh Ross and 2006 Commonwealth Games walk silver medallist Natalie Saville.

The ACT/AIS team will boast sprinter Adam Miller, emerging 400m star Kurt Mulcahy and Commonwealth Games silver medallists - walker Luke Adams and long jumper Kerrie Taurima.

The WA team will be led by heptathlete Kylie Wheeler (competing in both 200m and long jump) and the Tasmania/South Australia team by Commonwealth Games 400m relay gold medallist Mark Ormrod.

The Queensland challenge will be headed by hurdles star Sally McLellan who started the season in sensational fashion at the Sydney Track Classic where she ran the 100m hurdles in 12.81s, the fastest time ever on Australian soil, as well as a slick 11.26s for the 100m. Sally will contest an unusual event for her these days, the 200m. The team will welcome back two stars from injury, 2002 Commonwealth champion and five-time national shot put champion Justin Anlezark and Commonwealth long jump champion Bronwyn Thompson.

The in-form Mitch Kealey will run the 1500m, in which he ran a new Tasmanian record time of 3.39.7s last weekend. In a glimpse to the future, Queensland’s latest sprint sensation Lauren O’Sullivan will contest the 200m in the under-18 competition. Lauren has recently been running times that have her in contention for a place in the sprint relay at Beijing.

This year's event also has a new contender - an Indigenous team competing under the banner –  'Jump Start to London' – a training squad for the 2012 Olympics. An interesting selection in that team is Jess Peris in the 200m, the event in which her mother Nova won a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

The program will include an Interstate Youth (Under 18) challenge, as well as Little Athletics events. The Little As will start at 4pm, the Youth events at 5.15pm and the Seniors at 5.25pm.

Tickets will be available at the gate.

Courtesy Peter Meares (Queensland Athletics)