20.02.2009

Countdown on to ACT action

The countdown is on to the ACT Track and Field Championships, where the best athletes in the Territory will be joined by some of the nation's most impressive talent for three days of hard-fought competition.

Tonight the men's triple jump kicks off the meet, with Victorians Alwyn Jones and Henry Frayne set to continue their season-long head-to-head battle. While Frayne claimed the Australian junior record in Melbourne last December, it's Jones who leads the season 3-0.

Tristan Thomas, AIS scholarship-holder and this year's fastest Australian in the 400m hurdles will be out to post a World Championship A qualifying time on Sunday, set to be pushed hard by 2008's fastest man Brendon Cole (49.50), who is making a steady return from injury. With two B qualifiers already under his belt this season, Thomas will be chasing the A standard of 49.25.

Fellow 2006 Commonwealth Games teammate Lauren Boden lines up in the women's 400m hurdles fresh from her second-fastest race ever (57.32) at the NSW Championships in Sydney last weekend. Boden worked hard on her speed during 2008 and it now looks as though a personal best in her pet event is not too far away.

Three-time Australian 100m champion Josh Ross is entered in the 100m, where he will make his second appearance in Canberra over 100m this season. The Victorian hopes to improve on the wind assisted 10.38 he ran at the Canberra Track Classic last month.

Ross will have plenty of competition from Kiwi David Ambler (10.47 in 2009), who won last weekend's NSW Championships, and former American John Woods (10.46) who now calls Canberra home.

Beijing Paralympic champion Evan O'Hanlon, the world's fastest athlete with cerebral palsy (10.96), also lines up in the 100m where he may prove a handful for some of his more fancied able-bodied rivals.

Australia's fastest female, Melissa Breen, comes to this year's ACT Championships a very different athlete, having improved her 100m (11.33) and 200m (23.52) times by over half a second each this season to be in contention for the Berlin world championships. Another B qualifying time in the 100m (11.40) would certainly help her chances and with former world championship relay representative Melanie Kleeburg also on the start line, competition will be tough.

2008 world junior 400m finalists Kurt Mulcahy and Angie Blackburn will feature in the 400m, where they will be pushed by Chris Troode (AIS) and Trisha Greaves (NSW) respectively.

In the field, Target 2012 long jumpers Robbie Crowther and John Thornell will be looking to get back out over eight metres as the former world junior medallists hope they can make up some ground on the 8.04m set by Queenslander Mitchell Watt on the Gold Coast last month.

For further information on the event, click here.