Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Discus (junior): 1998 - 1st (U16), 1999 - 2nd (U18), 2001 - 2nd (U20)
Discus (senior): 2001 - 11th, 2002 - 3rd, 2003 - 3rd, 2004 - 5th, 2005 - 4th, 2006- 2nd, 2007 - 1st, 2008 - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 2006 - discus 8th (58.87m)
Pacific Schools Games: 2000 - discus 2nd

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
2000    51.50m
2001    54.76m
2002    57.78m
2003    55.25m
2004    57.68m
2005    63.65m
2006    60.70m
2007    62.99m
2008    66.37m

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
Discus throw: 66.37m - Salinas (USA), 22/05/2008
Shot put: 15.17m - Melbourne, 29/09/05

RECORD(S):
National record - discus: 66.37m - Salinas, 22/05/2008

Interesting Facts

A top class Indigenous athlete, Benn has competed at a high level in numerous other sports including swimming (against Ian Thorpe), baseball, basketball, water polo and cricket. Where possible, he continues to devote time and effort to Athletics Australia’s Indigenous development program.

Sporting Career

As a teenager, Benn was a leading discus thrower and made gradual improvement during his early twenties. During these years he first travelled from Newcastle to Sydney for coaching (with Rudolf Sopko), then relocated to Brisbane to train under Steve Lemke.

In 2004, Benn moved to Melbourne and joined coach Gus Puopolo. The move paid almost immediate dividends as Benn’s best improved by six metres in the space of a calendar year. May 2005 welcomed a major breakthrough on a tour of the USA where he threw 63.65m and climbed to number four on the Australian All-Time list.

He finished second at the 2006 Australian Championships with a throw of 60.12m and second, too, at the Victorian Championships. Commonwealth Games representation followed, Benn’s first senior International championships, where he finished eighth.

The big man captured his first National discus title during the 2006-07 domestic season and a number of 60m-plus throws in Hobart, Sydney and Adelaide. Benn then embarked on a solid European campaign of more than three months, highlighted by a win at the Stavanger Games in Norway and another victory in Sweden.

2008 has been a bumper period for big Benn. He won the Australian title, which combined with several solid performances saw him nominated to the AOC for selection to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. Benn then travelled to the West Coast of the USA for a period of competition. It was worth getting on the plane, as he broke the Australian record twice in 3 weeks.