25.07.2008

London Calling for Important Clashes

As the sporting world eagerly counts down the days until the start of the Beijing Olympic Games, nine members of Australia’s athletics team will compete this Friday and Saturday at one of the last major meets prior to its commencement, the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. Amongst them are three of Australia’s best medal chances within the stadium in Beijing: pole vaulter Steve Hooker, distance runner Craig Mottram and sprint hurdler Sally McLellan.

The meet, which uncharacteristically for a non-championship meet is being held over two days, will be the final hit out for many of the athletes participating as they fine tune their preparation for Beijing.

Outside of the Olympic final, in men’s pole vaulting circles Saturday’s event will be the best and most intriguing of the year, with Commonwealth champion Steve Hooker taking on American Brad Walker and Russian Yevgeniy Lukyanenko. All three men have cleared the prestigious six metre barrier so far this season, with Walker leading the world with a leap of 6.04m ahead of Lukyanenko’s 6.01m and Hooker’s 6.00m.

Hooker will enter the competition with confidence from his victory in the Paris leg of the Golden League last week, but knowing that he will likely need to clear more than his winning effort there of 5.70m for victory in London.

The Western Australian has indicated that the competition will be an intense mental battle between the three competitors in their only meeting this year prior to Beijing and has not placed any limit on his expectations so far as the height that it will take to win.

“London is going to be like the Olympic final,” said Hooker after his win in Paris.

“The aim is just to clear one more bar than anyone else.”

Headlining action on the first day of the meet from an Australian perspective is Craig Mottram. The Australian record holder over the mile, 2000m, 3000m and 5000m will contest the shortest of those distances after having scored an impressive victory over 3000m in Stockholm.

The track at Crystal Palace has treated Mottram well in the past. In consecutive years in 2004 and 2005 he raced Ethiopian greats Haile Gebreselassie and Kenenisa Bekele to the line for second place finishes over 5000m in sub 13 minute times, as well as scoring victory over two-miles at last year’s meet.

The Victorian has opted for a different approach this year, contesting shorter races to hone his finishing kick for the final burst required to be competitive in the Olympic 5000m final.

From an Australian perspective Mottram will face an interesting duel with Australian 1500m champion, Beijing bound Mitch Kealey, over who can claim bragging rights as the best miler in the nation, yet a stiffer challenge is likely to come from reigning 1500m and 5000m world champion Bernard Lagat and local athlete Andy Baddeley, who won the prestigious mile at the Bislett Games in Oslo earlier in the season.

On a roll after breaking her own Australian record in the 100m hurdles in Luzern, Switzerland a fortnight ago and a third place at the DN Galan meeting in Stockholm on Tuesday, Sally McLellan will enter her event eager to consolidate her position as one of the top hurdlers in the world leading into Beijing.

The 21-year-old will have 2005 world championship silver medalist Delloreen Ennis-London of Jamaica in her sights after finishing a mere three-hundredths of a second behind her in Stockholm.

Other Beijing Olympians in action include Australian record holder in the shot put, Scott Martin, 1500m runner Lisa Corrigan, long jumper Fabrice Lapierre, steeplechaser Vicki Mitchell and heptathlete Kylie Wheeler, who will take part in a 4 discipline multi-event over the two days of the meet consisting of the 100m hurdles, long jump, shot put and 200m. Also in action is Australian 5000m champion Georgie Clarke, who will contest the 3000m.