30.07.2005

Mottram heads into Helsinki on a high note

Craig Mottram goes into the World Championships on a high note, after he broke the Australian mile record at last Friday night's Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway (29th July).

Mottram finished fifth in 3min 48.98sec, a little over a second behind winner Daham Bashir of Qatar (formerly of Kenya) who won in 3:47.97, the fastest mile in the world this year.

Mottram's time surpassed the Australian mile record of 3:49.91 set by Simon Doyle in 1991, also in Oslo.

"It was a great time.... It couldn't have gone any better than a PB and a national record, but the big show's in a couple of weeks and that's what I really want."

Also in action for Australia was sprinter Joshua Ross in his last hitout ahead of Helsinki, clocking 10.28secs for sixth place, in a race won by Aziz Zakari of Ghana in 10.02sec.