News
Message from the President
It is fair to say that the second half of 2011 has been about Sally Pearson, and as the President of Athletics Australia I could not ask for a better spokesperson for our sport.
Her thrilling gold medal at the 2011 IAAF world championships was the best track and field moment of the year and her continuing dominance on the international athletics stage was appropriately rewarded with the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year Award. She rounds out 2011 with a new Australian record of 12.28, a resume that sees her beaten only once this year and a season that has etched her name into the minds of all Australians.
Long jump silver medallist Mitchell Watt and 50km walk bronze medallist Jared Tallent shared the dais with Pearson as Australian Flame medal winners at the world championships.
Watt is the best long jumper in the world this year thanks to a new Australian record and world leading jump of 8.54m, the Diamond League crown and his first Australian title. For Tallent, his impressive major championship resume continues to develop, with this bronze medal now sitting alongside two medals from the 2008 Olympics and the 20km walk gold from the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
I also congratulate Richard Colman, who in resounding fashion won a gold medal in the exhibition T54 800m, and the four other Australian Flame athletes who recorded top-eight performances – Luke Adams, Benn Harradine, Kim Mickle and Jarrod Bannister.
The IAAF world championships held in Daegu, South Korea, were an exceptionally well managed and executed event and I applaud the local organising committee on their tireless work. I am already looking forward to the 2013 and 2015 championships to be held in Moscow and Beijing respectively, as well as the recently announced 2017 IAAF world championships in London.
I also commend Lyon on winning the bid to host the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships. It is my hope that our Paralympic Preparation Program can again deliver on the medal tally at this event after a 23 medal haul at the most recent instalment in Christchurch earlier this year.
Four medals at the IAAF world youth championships in Lille, France, were equally exciting, as Jake Stein, Liz Parnov, Sarah Carli and Monique Cilione combined to deliver Australian success.
Stein is a star on the rise after winning the octathlon with a world youth leading result of 6491 points. Both Parnov and Carli won silver in the pole vault and 400m hurdles respectively, while Cilione won bronze in the javelin throw.
I acknowledge these up and coming athletes, as well as the nine other athletes who recorded top eight performances at what for most is their first exposure to a major international championship.
Away from the track and field, Athletics Australia continues to strive to become an enviable Olympic sport and our continued work to improve the administrative and operational side of the sport is a testament to this commitment.
The Joint Venture we have with Little Athletics Australia to autonomously work on increasing participation in our wonderful sport is now in full swing.
I'm thrilled to announce that we now have a National Participation Officer, as well as one in New South Wales and Victoria, working on this project and I againapplaud the vision of Ross Burridge, the President of Little Athletics Australia, his Board of Directors, Chief Executive Adam Wallish and staff for making this relationship prosper.
Thank you to the Australian Sports Commission for their support and guidance on many Athletics Australia projects.
We sincerely appreciate the access and interest in our sport from the Federal Minister for Sport, Mark Arbib. Our congratulations are extended to Simon Hollingsworth, former outstanding athlete and new Chief Executive of the Australian Sports Commission.
In exciting news for the nation, the 2018 Commonwealth Games have been awarded to the Gold Coast in Queensland.
This fantastic result bodes well for the development of athletics infrastructure in one of Australia’s fastest growing regions and again provides us, the Lucky Country, the chance to showcase our exceptional reputation as the home of major events after the 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
More pressing in the immediate future are the London Olympics and Paralympics, with 2012 set to be one of the biggest on record for Australian athletics.
Less than a fortnight ago we celebrated the beginning of the National Athletics Series at the ZATOPEK:10 and it was exciting to see track and field showcased in the impressive surrounds of Lakeside Stadium, the new home of track and field in Victoria.
On behalf of Athletics Victoria and Athletics Australia, I thank the Victorian Premiers John Brumby and Ted Baillieu, as well as Minister for Sport James Merlino and Hugh Delahunty, for their sound judgment and enthusiastic support for the completion of this venue to the highest international standard possible.
The Brisbane Track Classic will see the continuation of the National Athletics Series early in the New Year before Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne play host to Australian Athletics Tour meets.
In an exciting development for our sport, all four Tour meets will be televised on the Nine Network, Australia’s Olympic channel, before continuing replays across the summer on Fox Sports. This coverage will coincide with live streaming to be made available by Telstra Bigpond via their online television channel Sport TV.
This unprecedented access to Australia’s best track and field stars as they compete against a selection of international starters is vital in ensuring the commercial viability of our organisation in the long term. We wholeheartedly thank our broadcast partners for their support and look forward to their coverage.
To date we have seven athletes nominated to the Australian Olympic Committee for selection to the 2012 London Olympic Games. It is my expectation that the list of nominees will grow to be one of our strongest on record and I am confident that when athletics competition begins on August 3 next year that the Australian Flame will be ready to take on the world.
This enthusiasm extends to those athletes currently preparing for the 2012 Paralympic Games and the 2012 IAAF world junior championships.
The Paralympic Preparation and Junior High Performance Programs that Athletics Australia boast are renowned internationally and I am very excited to see these teams compete next year.
Thank you to my fellow Board members at Athletics Australia, who voluntarily givemost generously of their time and experience to our sport.
We are also very fortunate to have many skilled and dedicated members of various Committees and Commissions.
In closing I also extend my most sincere thanks to Chief Executive Dallas O’Brien, the management and staff of Athletics Australia. Your tireless dedication to the delivery, promotion and growth of our sport is something you should be very proud of and I look forward to working with you all in a very busy Olympic and Paralympic year.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
ROB H FILDES OAM
Athletics Australia President
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletters to keep up to date with Athletics in Australia.
More Headlines
