Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
400 metres - 2007 - 3rd, 2008 - 1st, 2009 - 5th

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World Youth Championships: 2003 - 400m 4th semi (48.83)
World University Games: 2007 - 4 x 400m 2nd (3:02.76)
World Indoor Championships: 2008 - 4 x 400m 5th heat (3:12.69)
Olympic Games: 2008 – 400m 3rd semi (45.06), 4 x 400m 6th (3:00.02, split 44.28)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

400m
2003 47.73
2004 47.43
2005 47.11
2006 47.01
2007 46.54
2008 44.80

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
100m: 10.85
200m: 21.34
400m: 44.80 - Beijing (CHN), 18/08/2008

Interesting Facts

Joel is currently completing a psychology course at Macquarie University.

Sporting Career

Season 2007/08 was a breakthrough year for Joel taking the 400m at high quality meets across Australia including the Zatopek Classic in December, Sydney Track Classic and Canberra Athletics Classic. An impressive 45.19 at the NSW Championships sent a strong message to his competitors that he was seriously in the hunt for an individual and relay Olympic selection in what was quickly becoming the event for 2008.

A niggling hamstring injury kept him out of the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix and he was disappointed to miss his chance to tackle reigning Olympic and World Champion, Jeremy Wariner at the IAAF World Athletics Tour in Melbourne.

Fully fit and ready to go, he arrived in Brisbane for the Selection Trials and Australian Athletics Championships with a clear sense of where he was and what he wanted to achieve, and systematically moved through the heats and semis finishing second to Athens silver medallists Mark Ormrod and John Steffensen respectively. In the most anticipated final at the championships where a win to either Steffensen or Sean Wroe would see them an automatic selection, Milburn needed a win and an A qualifier to guarantee his spot.

Starting from lane seven, Milburn, on the outside of a lively Steffensen, kept a controlled pace kicking off the final bend to sprint clear to win in 45.90 from Steffensen and Wroe.  That victory and his previous performances were enough to get him on the Olympic team.

Just days later Milburn was on a plane to Valencia for the IAAF World Indoor Championships alongside 4 x 400m team mates Wroe, Dylan Grant, Daniel Batman and Mark Ormrod. Unfortunately the team failed to qualify for the final after a fumbled baton pass, but the experience will be priceless leading into Beijing.

Entering the Olympics in excellent form, Joel bettered his personal best from only a month prior to finish second in his 400m heat in a new personal best (44.80). In his semi final he ran a gutsy third (45.06) narrowly missing the final. Joel then raced in both the heat and final with the 4x400m team. With Joel as anchor, the team finished 6th in the final, running the second fastest time ever by an Australian men’s 4x400 team. Joel has been selected in the Target 2012 Squad.