Home » News and Media » News » 2009 » September » And the winner is... athletics
20.09.2009
England’s victory was emphatic, the final scoreboard showing 10-one in their favour, but the real winner was the sport of athletics, with thousands of spectators experiencing international-standard head-to-head athletics action free of charge in the city streets of northern England.
The competition was short and sharp with plenty of rivalry and the English fans certainly walked away smiling after giving it to the Aussies. There was plenty of cheering for stars such as Olympic champion and England team captain Christine Ohuruogu and Australia’s Benita Willis, who made her comeback to competition after a lengthy battle with injury, but the vocal crowd were one-sided to say the least.
Beginning the day at one-all, the first blood went to England with Olympic finalist Sarah Claxton blitzing the field in the 100m hurdles in a time of 13.17. Jump Start to London athlete Shannon McCann finished third in 14.23 and Target 2012 squad member Lauren Boden finished fourth in a lifetime best of 14.25.
Boden enjoyed the opportunity to race against some of the world’s top athletes and in front of a big crowd.
“100m hurdles isn’t really my event, normally I’m a 400m hurdler so I had some higher hurdles to contend with but I’m pretty happy with how I ran,” Boden said.
“I didn’t get distracted by the crowd or the helicopter and I really stayed focused on my race. I’m happy with the time, it’s a big PB,” said the Canberra-based athlete.
The middle distance races, one and two miles for women and one mile for men, saw some highly tactical team-on-team racing, especially in the men’s mile where Beijing Olympians Mitch Kealey and Collis Birmingham went out early to break away from the rest of the field.
With Andy Baddeley, who placed ninth in the 1500m at last month's world championships the biggest threat, the Australians were keen to get a break on both he and 3:56.40 miler Mo Farah early. Baddeley, however, took the honours in 4:02 with Farah second in the same time and Birmingham third in 4:04.
“We knew to beat Badders (Baddeley) and Mo (Farah) we pretty much had to steal it, we weren’t going to be able to sit in and kick past them because we aren’t as fast as them,” said Kealey, crossing the line in 4:13.
“Collis and I had a tactic to get a break on them at the 200m-mark and then run hard to the end and hopefully finish off with the win. Badders was up at the front, so he was aware and we were up against it the whole way. We finished off well, in third and fourth but it’s obviously not enough to get the point.”
The women’s two miles also proved challenging to the Australians. Welcoming back experienced track, cross country and road racer Benita Willis to the team after a lengthy spell through injury the Australians had marked this one down as a win and Willis led early, controlling the race from the outset. Pulling away to a 10m lead for a lot of the race, she was eventually chased down by 18-year-old Briton Charlotte Purdue (10:00), who edged past Willis (10:00) on the line to snatch the point for England.
Also finishing strongly was Australian Nikki Chapple.
Willis was devastated with the result.
“I didn’t even know she was coming,” she said with a tear in her eye. “I knew what I had to do today, I broke away in the back section of the course and I thought I was clear. I was finishing well, I’m just so disappointed I didn’t win because I thought I was strong enough but I just didn’t see her coming.”
The one mile event was also taken out by a strong English outfit, with NCAA mile champion Hannah England proving too good for the field to streak home in 4:49.
The young Australian foursome of Katherine Katsanevakis (5:09), Kelly Hetherington (5:09), Selma Kajan (5:10) and Holly Noack (5:11) took the opportunity to learn from their more experienced counterparts in the field.
“We lost them down the hill at the start and we all stuck together and kicked at the next bridge. I really tried to hang on and sprinted the last 50 metres but it wasn’t enough. I liked working as a team and all supporting each other though, we just need to do it more,” Katsanevakis said.
Back on the track, World University Games representative John Burstow and world junior representative Daniel Martin took on some fearsome English opposition in fourth place-getter at the Berlin world championships Will Sharman and 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Andy Turner.
Martin flew out of the blocks and was in the mix until he was slowed by a knock at the third hurdle. The Englishmen finished neck-and-neck with Sharman recording 13.53 to shake off Turner in 13.54 by the slimmest of margins. Martin finished well in 14.15 and Burstow in 14.40.
Both Australian athletes enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to race against such high-quality opposition.
“Will Sharman came fourth in Berlin so it’s tough to compete against guys like that but at the same time it's invaluable experience,” Burstow said.
“It was a fantastic concept, the crowd was awesome but I would have liked a few more Aussies (in the crowd). It was great, I’d love to do it in Australia or come back and do it again."
In the men’s 60m, world championships 4x100m relay representative Anthony Alozie sizzled out of the blocks and looked to have the race won but a failing technique cost him victory at the line, opening the door for world junior representative Richard Kilty to take the win in 6.67 from Tyrone Edgar (6.69) and Matt Davies (6.71).
Alozie finished fourth in 6.72 and was disappointed with the result.
“I was there and then my technique let me down,” he said.
“I like the 60m and I’m now aiming for world indoors next year.”
English stalwart Marlon Devonish got out early in the men’s 150m and never looked like being caught, finishing in 14.88 from Jefferey Lawal-Balogun (15.21) and Australians Davies (15.24) and Sean Wroe (15.67).
World championships finalist Greg Rutherford took out the long jump with a leap of 8.17m from countryman Tomlinson with 7.92m. Youngster Henry Frayne leapt 7.81m for third place, his second best jump of all time, and World University Games representative Shaun Fletcher was fourth with 7.36m.
Frayne was pleased he was almost up to his best.
“I was pretty happy with the 7.81m on my fourth attempt, there’s a few things to improve on but that was my second best jump ever so I’m happy.”
With the scores at nine-one, Australia’s lone point scored by team captain Scott Martin in yesterday’s shot put competition, the final event on the program was the women’s 150m. English skipper and Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu won easily in a personal best and English record time of 16.94 from Montell Douglas (17.18) and Australians Melissa Breen (17.70) and Lauren Boden (17.72).
Contested across two action-packed days on the streets of northern England, the Great North City Games have proven a fantastic opportunity for athletes and fans of track and field to get up close and personal.
Athletics Australia CEO Danny Corcoran said: “Athletics was the winner today, the event was outstanding and we hope that it will inspire the Great North Run competitors tomorrow. It’s fantastic to see athletics presented in a short and exciting format where people can get up close and see what it’s all about.
“Our team is a mixture of developing athletes and more experienced ones, obviously we were missing some of our superstars but we were really proud of the way the team gave it their all and entertained the crowd.
“The great investment the British government has put into athletics is really starting to pay off and we will see them really become an athletics powerhouse by the London Olympics,” he predicted.
“We just hope we can continue on the way we have been going and give them a run for their money at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year and in the streets again when we get the chance.”
On Sunday the streets of Newcastle will play home to the Great North Run before the series heads to Melbourne for the Great Australian Run on November 29. Enter online at greataustralianrun.com.au
Athletics fans can catch all the action from the Great North City Games at midday on Sunday, September 20 on ONE HD.
News
And the winner is... athletics
For two days the inaugural England versus Australia test match, the Great North City Games, held as part of the BUPA Great North Run in NewcastleGateshead, has played host to some great athletics action right in the heart of the city streets.England’s victory was emphatic, the final scoreboard showing 10-one in their favour, but the real winner was the sport of athletics, with thousands of spectators experiencing international-standard head-to-head athletics action free of charge in the city streets of northern England.
The competition was short and sharp with plenty of rivalry and the English fans certainly walked away smiling after giving it to the Aussies. There was plenty of cheering for stars such as Olympic champion and England team captain Christine Ohuruogu and Australia’s Benita Willis, who made her comeback to competition after a lengthy battle with injury, but the vocal crowd were one-sided to say the least.
Beginning the day at one-all, the first blood went to England with Olympic finalist Sarah Claxton blitzing the field in the 100m hurdles in a time of 13.17. Jump Start to London athlete Shannon McCann finished third in 14.23 and Target 2012 squad member Lauren Boden finished fourth in a lifetime best of 14.25.
Boden enjoyed the opportunity to race against some of the world’s top athletes and in front of a big crowd.
“100m hurdles isn’t really my event, normally I’m a 400m hurdler so I had some higher hurdles to contend with but I’m pretty happy with how I ran,” Boden said.
“I didn’t get distracted by the crowd or the helicopter and I really stayed focused on my race. I’m happy with the time, it’s a big PB,” said the Canberra-based athlete.
The middle distance races, one and two miles for women and one mile for men, saw some highly tactical team-on-team racing, especially in the men’s mile where Beijing Olympians Mitch Kealey and Collis Birmingham went out early to break away from the rest of the field.
With Andy Baddeley, who placed ninth in the 1500m at last month's world championships the biggest threat, the Australians were keen to get a break on both he and 3:56.40 miler Mo Farah early. Baddeley, however, took the honours in 4:02 with Farah second in the same time and Birmingham third in 4:04.
“We knew to beat Badders (Baddeley) and Mo (Farah) we pretty much had to steal it, we weren’t going to be able to sit in and kick past them because we aren’t as fast as them,” said Kealey, crossing the line in 4:13.
“Collis and I had a tactic to get a break on them at the 200m-mark and then run hard to the end and hopefully finish off with the win. Badders was up at the front, so he was aware and we were up against it the whole way. We finished off well, in third and fourth but it’s obviously not enough to get the point.”
The women’s two miles also proved challenging to the Australians. Welcoming back experienced track, cross country and road racer Benita Willis to the team after a lengthy spell through injury the Australians had marked this one down as a win and Willis led early, controlling the race from the outset. Pulling away to a 10m lead for a lot of the race, she was eventually chased down by 18-year-old Briton Charlotte Purdue (10:00), who edged past Willis (10:00) on the line to snatch the point for England.
Also finishing strongly was Australian Nikki Chapple.
Willis was devastated with the result.
“I didn’t even know she was coming,” she said with a tear in her eye. “I knew what I had to do today, I broke away in the back section of the course and I thought I was clear. I was finishing well, I’m just so disappointed I didn’t win because I thought I was strong enough but I just didn’t see her coming.”
The one mile event was also taken out by a strong English outfit, with NCAA mile champion Hannah England proving too good for the field to streak home in 4:49.
The young Australian foursome of Katherine Katsanevakis (5:09), Kelly Hetherington (5:09), Selma Kajan (5:10) and Holly Noack (5:11) took the opportunity to learn from their more experienced counterparts in the field.
“We lost them down the hill at the start and we all stuck together and kicked at the next bridge. I really tried to hang on and sprinted the last 50 metres but it wasn’t enough. I liked working as a team and all supporting each other though, we just need to do it more,” Katsanevakis said.
Back on the track, World University Games representative John Burstow and world junior representative Daniel Martin took on some fearsome English opposition in fourth place-getter at the Berlin world championships Will Sharman and 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Andy Turner.
Martin flew out of the blocks and was in the mix until he was slowed by a knock at the third hurdle. The Englishmen finished neck-and-neck with Sharman recording 13.53 to shake off Turner in 13.54 by the slimmest of margins. Martin finished well in 14.15 and Burstow in 14.40.
Both Australian athletes enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to race against such high-quality opposition.
“Will Sharman came fourth in Berlin so it’s tough to compete against guys like that but at the same time it's invaluable experience,” Burstow said.
“It was a fantastic concept, the crowd was awesome but I would have liked a few more Aussies (in the crowd). It was great, I’d love to do it in Australia or come back and do it again."
In the men’s 60m, world championships 4x100m relay representative Anthony Alozie sizzled out of the blocks and looked to have the race won but a failing technique cost him victory at the line, opening the door for world junior representative Richard Kilty to take the win in 6.67 from Tyrone Edgar (6.69) and Matt Davies (6.71).
Alozie finished fourth in 6.72 and was disappointed with the result.
“I was there and then my technique let me down,” he said.
“I like the 60m and I’m now aiming for world indoors next year.”
English stalwart Marlon Devonish got out early in the men’s 150m and never looked like being caught, finishing in 14.88 from Jefferey Lawal-Balogun (15.21) and Australians Davies (15.24) and Sean Wroe (15.67).
World championships finalist Greg Rutherford took out the long jump with a leap of 8.17m from countryman Tomlinson with 7.92m. Youngster Henry Frayne leapt 7.81m for third place, his second best jump of all time, and World University Games representative Shaun Fletcher was fourth with 7.36m.
Frayne was pleased he was almost up to his best.
“I was pretty happy with the 7.81m on my fourth attempt, there’s a few things to improve on but that was my second best jump ever so I’m happy.”
With the scores at nine-one, Australia’s lone point scored by team captain Scott Martin in yesterday’s shot put competition, the final event on the program was the women’s 150m. English skipper and Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu won easily in a personal best and English record time of 16.94 from Montell Douglas (17.18) and Australians Melissa Breen (17.70) and Lauren Boden (17.72).
Contested across two action-packed days on the streets of northern England, the Great North City Games have proven a fantastic opportunity for athletes and fans of track and field to get up close and personal.
Athletics Australia CEO Danny Corcoran said: “Athletics was the winner today, the event was outstanding and we hope that it will inspire the Great North Run competitors tomorrow. It’s fantastic to see athletics presented in a short and exciting format where people can get up close and see what it’s all about.
“Our team is a mixture of developing athletes and more experienced ones, obviously we were missing some of our superstars but we were really proud of the way the team gave it their all and entertained the crowd.
“The great investment the British government has put into athletics is really starting to pay off and we will see them really become an athletics powerhouse by the London Olympics,” he predicted.
“We just hope we can continue on the way we have been going and give them a run for their money at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year and in the streets again when we get the chance.”
On Sunday the streets of Newcastle will play home to the Great North Run before the series heads to Melbourne for the Great Australian Run on November 29. Enter online at greataustralianrun.com.au
Athletics fans can catch all the action from the Great North City Games at midday on Sunday, September 20 on ONE HD.
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