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Young stars impress ahead of nationals
World championship ‘A’ qualifiers for Mitchell Watt (long jump) and Kimberley Mickle (javelin), a national junior 3000m record for Ryan Gregson, impressive one mile efforts by Jeff Riseley and Collis Birmingham and excellent results by Australia’s walkers led by Jared Tallent were the highlights of an action-packed weekend of Australian athletics.
Australia’s established and rising stars will be on show at the Selection Trials and 87th Australian Championships which commence this Thursday (March 19 - 21) at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane.
A Qualifier for long jumper Mitchell Watt
Improving on his personal best by six centimetres, Queensland long jumper Mitchell Watt leapt a massive 8.17m (-1.0) on the Gold Coast yesterday (Sunday) to register his first ‘A’ qualifier for the world championships.
The impressive jump moves Watt to seventh position on the Australian all-time list, ahead of dual Olympian David Culbert (8.13m).
Putting it into perspective, his jump of 8.17m would have ranked him 23rd on the 2008 world list and would have placed him sixth in the Beijing Olympic final.
The 20-year-old has had a sensational domestic season to date with four leaps over eight metres - 8.04m (Gold Coast – Jan 26), 8.07m (Australia Cup – Feb 7), ‘B’ qualifier of 8.11m (World Athletics Tour Melbourne – March 5) and his 8.17m yesterday.
Mitchell will compete at the 87th Australian Championships in Brisbane this weekend, setting up a much-anticipated showdown with 2008 World Athletics Final winner Fabrice Lapierre who has a 2009 best of 8.18m (+2.0).
Aussie walkers top 10 in Mexico
Three of Australia's leading walkers, Jared Tallent (3rd), Adam Rutter (5th) and Luke Adams (7th), have placed in the top 10 in the opening leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, Mexico on Sunday AEDT.
Home town hero Eder Sanchez won the 20km event in 1:22.21, ahead of Columbia's Luis Fernando López with 1:23:06.
Dual Olympic medallist Tallent, who won the overall Challenge in 2008, was just behind in 1:23.44, whilst it was an excellent breakthrough on the international circuit for Rutter, who clocked 1:24:24 to finish fifth.
Adams (1:24.53) had the misfortune of being sick in the final stages of the race, however he continued to battle home for the final 4km, the hamstring he tore three weeks ago holding up to the test.
It was a fantastic effort by the Australian trio to back up after last weekend's national championships, travel to the other side of the world, race at altitude, and still defeat quality international athletes.
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Mickle’s PB spears another A qualifier
Western Australian javelin thrower Kimberley Mickle smashed her personal best with a massive throw of 63.49m at the WA State Championships in Perth on Saturday.
It was her second ‘A’ qualifier in successive weekends, following her 61.42m effort in Perth on March 8.
The result keeps her at No.3 on the Australian all-time list behind Louise McPaul-Currey (66.80m) and Joanna Stone (64.42m).
Mickle has improved significantly this year. Prior to 2009, the 2001 world youth champion had never thrown over the 60-metre mark.
The 24-year-old will need to secure her fourth national title this weekend to gain automatic selection for her first world championships.
Australian junior record for Gregson
World junior representative Ryan Gregson became the first Australian junior to break eight minutes for the 3000m on Friday night, reclaiming the national junior record with 7:57.45 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Jeff Riseley won the invitational mile in 3:54.24, narrowly defeating fellow Victorian and Olympian Collis Birmingham who recorded 3:54.36. Their impressive performances moving them to fifth and sixth respectively on the Australian all-time list, ahead of the great miler Herb Elliott.
Gregson first came to prominence when he broke Craig Mottram's under-20 national record over 3000m when he was just 17 and still a student at Bulli High School in New South Wales.
Friday’s night’s record run was Gregson’s second national junior record in just two weeks.
and Tristan Thomas recorded his eleventh personal best of the Australian domestic season on a wet AIS track on Saturday, clocking 21.32 in the 200m.
The Selection Trials and 87th Australian Championships will be held at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane from Thursday, 19 – Saturday, 21 March.
Tickets are available at the gate:
• Thursday - $10 for adults and $5 concession (12-18)
• Friday - $20 for adults and $10 concession (12-18)
• Saturday - $20 for adults and $10 concession (12-18)
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