Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
800m: 2005 – 3rd (U20), 2006 – 2nd (U23), 2007 – 2nd (open) 1st (U23), 2008 – 4th (open)
1500m: 2007 – 1st (U23), 2009 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World University Games: 2007 – 800m 4th semi (1.48.33)
World championships: 2007 – 800m 6th heat (1.47.44)
Olympic Games: 2008 – 1500m 12th heat (3.53.95)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
800m
2003 2:04.30
2004 1:58.10
2005 1:52.80
2006 1:49.00
2007 1:46.35
2008 1:46.40
2009 1:45.48

1500m
2006 3:48.91
2007 3:38.56
2008 3:36.03
2009 3:32.93

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS
800m: 1:45.48 – Ostrava (CZE), 17/06/09
1000m: 2:17.354 – Stockholm (SWE), 31/07/09
1500m: 3:32.93 – Rome (ITA), 10/07/09
One mile: 3:51.25 – Oslo (NOR), 3/07/09

Interesting Facts

Jeff competed in Little Athletics from ages seven to 14 and didn’t enjoy middle distance, instead focusing on jumps.  He did not commence senior athletics  until he was 18.

Jeff’s running track and two houses in Jeff’s street were burned down in the Black Saturday bushfires that ravaged Victoria on February 7, 2009.

Sporting Career

2005 – 2006 – After re-acquainting himself with athletics at 18, he finished third at the U20 nationals in 2005 and second in the U23s in 2006.

2007 – Took victory at the Ron Clarke Classic, Telstra A-Series Canberra, Graeme Briggs Memorial Classic and an 800m/1500m double at the U23 championships, culminating in a stunning victory in his home-town at the Telstra A-Series Melbourne. Jeff finished second to Nick Bromley at the Australian championships in Brisbane in March before embarking on his first overseas campaign, which included a win at the Japanese Spring Circuit in Shizuoka (1500m) and second at the Osaka Grand Prix meet in May (800m). Joining Nic Bideau’s camp, Riseley trained in London in June and July and ran a 1500m PB in Sheffield, a solid 800m in Tallin and a PB in Stockholm over that distance ahead of August’s World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. He was selected for the world championships in Osaka where he ran 1.47.44 and failed to progress to the semi-finals. Jeff competed at the IAAF Golden League meet in Zurich and the World Tour meet in Rieti before returning home.

2008 – Suffering an injury during the domestic season, Jeff headed north for the European summer, where he ran within .2 of his 800m personal best on three separate occasions. Riseley then found himself on the start list for the Rome Golden League meeting, this time for the 1500m. The result: he knocked 2.53 seconds off his previous best, clocking 3.36.03, the seventh-fastest time ever by an Australian over the distance. The 21-year-old was then added to the team for Beijing. In Beijing, the talented youngster ran in the fastest 1500m heat in Olympic history, finishing 12th (3.53.95), unable to progress.

2009 – After taking out his first Australian crown in the 1500m at the national championships in March Jeff took his good form to Europe, where he has made a habit of shattering personal best times and moving up the Australian all-time list. In June Riseley posted a new personal best over 800m, stopping the clock at 1:45.48 in Ostrava (CZE) to move to No. 7 on the Australian all-time list. Just weeks later, in July, he clocked a career best 3:51.25 at the Dream Mile event in Oslo, the time elevating him past former national mile record holder Mike Hillardt and into third position on the Australian all-time rankings. At July’s Golden Gala meet in Rome Jeff stopped the clock at 3:32.93 over 1500m to move to No. 2 on the national all-time rankings list, past Graeme Crouch, Mark Fountain, Mike Hillardt and Craig Mottram. Jeff’s time is second only to Simon Doyle’s run of 3:31.96, recorded in Sweden in 1991. In late July Riseley clocked 2:17.35 over 1000m in Stockholm, slashing 1.4 off his previous best mark to move to No. 2 on the Australian all-time list behind Grant Cremer (2:16.61).