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Three Australians set for finals on day eight
It's a big day for Australian athletics on the penultimate day of the 2009 world championships, with Steve Hooker (pole vault), Fabrice Lapierre (long jump) and Mitchell Watt (long jump) in finals action, along with the Australian 4x400m relay and World Marathon Cup teams.
There’s good and bad news for injured Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker ahead of tonight’s world championships final in Berlin.
Hooker’s torn right adductor, which he originally injured at training 11 days ago, is on the mend, however it’s an associated neural problem in his upper right quad which is now causing the 27-year-old grief.
Although the neural problem is painful, it will not increase the risk of further damage and Hooker will receive a local anaesthetic to relieve the pain prior to tonight’s final.
The Hooker camp will follow a similar strategy to that of Thursday’s qualifying round. Not wanting to risk further injury, Hooker will not partake in any warm jumps and will only enter the competition when the bar is raised to a height that will win a medal.
Click here to view Eric Hollingsworth’s update on Steve Hooker
Frenchman Renaud Lavellenie who has jumped 6.01m this year has emerged as the gold medal favourite for tomorrow night’s final, which commences at 18:15 (2:15 AEST).
Watt and Lapierre have elevated themselves into medal contention following outstanding seasons that have seen them reach No. 2 and No. 3 on the Australian all-time list, with their 8.43m and 8.35m respective jumps.
On Thursday the pair cruised through to tonight’s long jump final with 8.14m jumps that fell just one centimetre short of the automatic qualifier, but placed them safely into equal fifth position at the end of qualifying.
Click here to view Fabrice Lapierre’s post-qualifying interview
Click here to view Mitchell Watt’s post-qualifying interview
The Australian Flame will be well represented in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay heats.
The men’s team will see the return of three Berlin semi-finalists: Joel Milburn (400m), Tristan Thomas (400m hurdles) and Sean Wroe (400m) and the first appearance of fellow squad member Ben Offereins.
National 400m and 400m hurdles champion Tamsyn Lewis will anchor the women’s team. Pirrenee Steinert, Madeleine Pape and Caitlin Pincott have been set the task of getting the baton to Lewis in a position to advance the team to the finals.
Doubling as the World Marathon Cup, the Australian Flame will also have four competitors including Martin Dent, Andrew Letherby, Mark Tucker and Scott Westcott in the men’s marathon.
FLAME ATHLETES COMPETING IN BERLIN
TODAY
Saturday August 22, 2009 – Day 8
Morning session
11:45 (19:45 AEST): World Marathon
Cup Final - Martin Dent, Andrew Letherby, Mark Tucker,
Scott Westcott
Evening session
18:05 (02:02 AEST): Long jump Final -
Fabrice Lapierre, Mitchell Watt
18:15 (02:15
AEST): Pole vault Final - Steve Hooker
18:55
(02:55 AEST): 4x400m relay (M) Heats -
Australia
20:15 (04:15
(AEST): 4x400m relay (W) Heats - Australia
TELEVISION COVERAGE
The 12th IAAF world championships will be broadcast LIVE
from Berlin on SBS ONE and SBS TWO, along with daily highlights
programs. All times listed below are in AEST.
Saturday August 22, 2009 (AEST)
SBS TWO
18:00-18:30: Evening highlights
19:30-22:00: Live marathon (M)
Sunday August 23, 2009 (AEST)
SBS ONE
03:00-05:30: Live pole vault (M), hammer
throw (W), 5000m (W), 4x100m relay (W,M)
07:15-07:30: Morning highlights
SBS TWO
02:00-05:30: Live
18:00-18:30: Evening highlights
19:30-22:00: Live marathon (W)
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