Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
400 metres: 2005 - 7th (U23)
800 metres: 2005 - 1st (U23), 2007 - 2nd, 2008 - 2nd

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

400 metres:
2004  56.36
2005  56.10
2006  55.71
2007  53.56
2008  53.68

800 metres:
2004  2.09.82
2005  2.08.00
2006  2.05.38
2007  2.01.17
2008  1.59.92

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
400 metres: 53.56 - Melbourne, 1/03/07
800 metres: 1.59.92 - Sydney, 16/02/08

Interesting Facts

A former Australian football boundary umpire with Melbourne’s Eastern Football League, Madeleine had shared aims to umpire at AFL level and compete on the track at the Olympic Games. She was advised that running on heavier grounds over winter would in no way benefit her summer track work so gave away umpiring at the end of 2004. Coached by former pro athlete Terry McGrath, she completed her first full track season in 2005. Madeleine is undertaking international studies at RMIT.

Sporting Career

Madeleine was, in athletics terms, a late starter but has made considerable ground in the last 12 months. In 2004, when she was only committed to athletics part-time, her personal bests for the 400m and 800m were 56.36 and 2.09.82 respectively.

In 2005, those marks improved marginally, however, commitment to her development saw Madeleine win the under-23 800m title that year.

A foot injury and a stress fracture in her back encouraged Madeleine to travel, once recovered, to Europe mid-2006 where she competed in some low-key meets before returning home.

It brought a larger improvement in the 800m, albeit at the end of the year, when Madeleine finished a narrow second to Tamsyn Lewis at the Telstra Zatopek Classic with a time of 2.05.38. Less than two weeks earlier, at the Ron Clarke Classic, she had turned in a 2.10.89 win.

So began a significant transformation that saw her post a series of strong runs at the A Series in Canberra (2.02.89), Sydney (2.03.40) and at the 2007 Australian Championships in Brisbane (2.01.50). That race she again finished second to Lewis.

However, the best was yet to come; at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University in California, Madeleine won in 2.01.17, a World Championships B qualifying time. It followed a win over 800m at the Mt Sac Relays in Walnut, California plus second places at the Oregon Invitational and the Modesto Relays to conclude a tour of the USA’s west coast.

Madeleine was selected in the Australian team for the World University Games but was forced to withdraw with a stress fracture in her right foot.

A speedy recovery saw Madeleine return to form and in 2008 at the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix, fans were treated to something special when both Madeleine (1:59.92) and Tamsyn (1:59.59) broke the 2 minute barrier. With an A qualifier on the board, Madeleine was in good shape coming into the National Championships. She ran second to Tamsyn in a time of 2:02.12, and was given nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee for selection into the Australian team for the 2008 Olympic Games.