Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
100 metres: 1997 - 4th (2nd Australian), 1999 - 4th (3rd Australian), 2000 - 2nd, 2000 (OGT) - 2nd, 2001 - 2nd, 2002 - 4th (3rd Australian), 2003 - 1st, 2004 - DNC (inj), 2005 - 2nd, 2006 - 3rd, 2007 –2nd, 2008 - 8th , 2009 - 5th (4th Australian)
200 metres: 1997 - 3rd (2nd Australian), 1998 - 3rd, 1999 - 2nd, 2000 (OGT) - 3rd, 2001 - 1st, 2002 - 4th (2nd Australian), 2003 - 1st, 2005 - 5th, 2006 - 1st, 2007 – 2nd, 2008 - DNF, 2009 - 9th (7th Australian)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 2002 - 4 x 100m 3rd (38.87), 2006 - 100m 6th (10.26), 200m 4th (20.59), 4 x 100m DNF in final
Olympic Games: 2000 - 100m 5th QF (10.44), 200m 7th QF (20.87), 4 x 100m DQ semi, 2004 - 4 x 100m 6th (38.56)
World championships: 1997 - 200m 6th heat (21.45), 2003 - 100m 6th QF (10.27), 200m 7th QF (20.83), 4 x 100m 5th semi (38.90), 2005 - 100m 4th QF (10.48), 200m 6th (20.58), 4 x 100m 5th (38.32), 2007 - 100m 6th QF (10.25), 200m 8th semi (20.73), 2009 - 4x100m relay DNS
World University Games: 1997 - 100m, 200m DNC, 1999 - 200m 6th (21.06)
World Cup: 2002 - 100m 8th (10.58), 4 x 100m 7th 39.58, 2006 - 100m 8th (10.28), 200m 5th (20.52), 4 x 100m 6th (39.48)
World indoor championships: 2001 - 60m 5th semi (6.69)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
100 metres
1997 10.39
1998 10.43
1999 10.17
2000 10.10
2001 10.25
2002 10.26
2003 9.93/9.88w
2004 10.28
2005 10.20/10.01w
2006 10.18
2007 10.17/10.12w
2008 10.29/10.18w
2009 10.44

200 metres
1997 20.54
1998 20.80
1999 20.64
2000 20.68
2001 20.52
2002 20.63/20.52w
2003 20.50/20.25w
2004 20.77
2005 20.56
2006 20.35
2007 20.48
2008 20.71

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
100 metres: 9.93 (+1.8) - Mito (JPN), 5/05/03 9.88 (+4.6) - Perth, 8/02/03]
200 metres: 20.35 (+1.0) - Malmo (SWE), 22/08/06

RECORD(S):
Oceania and national record - 100 metres: 9.93 (+1.8) - Mito (JPN), 5/05/03

Interesting Facts

Patrick spent his formative years on a fishing trawler in North Queensland waters with his father, who is of Irish heritage. As a 17 year-old he was awarded a scholarship to St Paul’s College in Moss Vale, an international boarding college where the majority of students were from Asia.

He went on to study human rights and Asian studies at the Australian National University and has interests in foreign affairs and languages.

Sporting Career

1996 – Started athletics at the Australian University Games in Canberra, winning the 100m wearing spikes for the first time. His eye-catching run was spotted by then-AIS coach, Esa Peltola, who convinced the instantly budding indigenous star to give the sport a go.

2000 – A competitive rivalry with Matt Shirvington developed, which produced some great tussles. Olympic selection followed but Patrick exited both sprints in the quarter-finals.

2001 – Withdrew from the world championships team with stress fractures.

2002 – Assisted the team to a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games 4x100m relay.

2003 – In Perth on February 8 he ran two sensational wind assisted times – 9.90 (+5.7) in a heat and 9.88 (+3.6) in the final. Within the next two weeks came 20.25 (+2.6) over 200m and 10.16 and 10.13 over 100. On May 5, at an otherwise inconspicuous meet outside Mito in central Japan, Patrick made Australian athletics history in running 9.93. He became the first Australian to break 10 seconds in legal conditions. It made him the 17th fastest man in history at the time and the 38th athlete to break the barrier. He backed it up a week later in Osaka, placing second. After racing the European Grand Prix circuit, he made the quarter-finals of the world championships and was one of those affected by the Jon Drummond fiasco in the 100 metres. No athlete challenged his Mito time all year and he closed 2003 as the world leader over the distance.

2004 - An injured hamstring ruled him out of the domestic season but, after resuming competition in May, he was selected in the Olympic 4x100m relay team, which eventually placed sixth in the Olympic final.

2005 – Patrick was selected to compete at the world championships in Helsinki, racing eight times in nine days and placing a worthy sixth in the 200m final and assisting the relay to fifth.

2006 – Patrick’s Commonwealth Games campaign in Melbourne was strong, finishing sixth in the 100m and fourth in the 200m. He then produced a PB over 200m and a solid fifth in the Athens World Cup.

2007 – With two national silver medals behind Josh Ross in March, Patrick competed over both 100m and 200m in a productive European tour that preceded his fourth appearance at the world championships. It included a 10.17 dash in Spain, his quickest time since 2003. Come Osaka, Patrick made the quarter-finals of the 100m and the semi-finals of the 200m. A 20.48 run in the heats was the quickest by an Australian athlete in 2007.

2008 – In the final of the 100m at the Australian championships, Patrick infamously missed the start and was forced to settle for eighth (10.81) damaging his hopes of making the Australian Olympic team for the third time. In the 200m he suffered another setback when he pulled up short with an injured hamstring.

2009 – At the Sydney Track Classic in February Patrick placed sixth with a time of 10.44, repeating that effort at the World Athletics Tour Melbourne with another sixth placing and a time of 10.67. Competing in his 12th Australian championships in Brisbane in March Patrick placed fifth in the 100m (10.51) and ninth in the 200m (21.51).