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Bird-Smith in full flight ahead of world youth titles
Queenslander Dane Bird-Smith has turned on an impressive display in the 3000m walk in his final hit-out on the track ahead of the 6th IAAF world youth championships in Bressanone, Italy.
The 16-year-old crossed the line in 12:00.34 (non-legal), more than three seconds ahead of his official personal best mark of 12:03.53.
“It was really good to have a good hit-out today, I was feeling so good coming into it that the problem was going to be trying to hold myself back for the 10,000m in Italy rather than letting it all out here today,” Bird-Smith said.
“I finished really strongly and pulled out a really good performance. This is probably the fittest I’ve ever been so it’s great, it’s great to know I have all this fitness behind me and I’m ready to race.
“It’s just another stepping stone to get to my absolute best so I’m just hoping I can peak again in Italy and pull out a really good personal best over there.“
Bird-Smith will line up in the 10,000m walk at next week’s world youth titles, the Queenslander using today’s race to fine-tune his speed ahead of the meet.
“Just getting that base speed was the aim today, if you can hold four-minute kilometre pace for one kilometre you’ve got to be able to hold it for 10 and I know I can hold it for three easy, so it’s good to see that I’ve got the speed there.”
One week out from the 2009 world youth titles, Bird-Smith has already set his sights on the athletes to watch in Bressanone.
“I’ve done a little bit of research and there’s a Chinese bloke, a Mexican, two Russians and an Italian who are all around the 42:00 mark, which is what I’m hoping to hit.”
In the girls’ 3000m walk Paige Hooper crossed the line in 14:23.80, with Shannon Jennings home in 15:20.20.
The race walkers were joined at the Gold Coast track by all 22 members of the world youth championships team, their ultimate hit-out on home soil before departing for Europe on Friday.
New South Wales athlete Cameron Hyde (11.18, w: 1.2) came tantalisingly close to a personal best time in the 100m, edging out teammate Mitchell Tysoe (11.20, w: 1.2) in the sprint before taking on the 110m hurdles.
“It was really good, I almost ran a PB in the 100m and the winds were swirling but it was a good run,” Hyde said.
“I got up and as soon as I got out of the blocks I felt great so I was pretty happy with that.
“I’ve only ever beaten Mitchell twice over the 100m and the second time was today so now I’ve just got to try to get him in the hurdles, it’s good fun.”
Today’s sprint-hurdles double simulated the schedule both Hyde and Tysoe will face in Bressanone.
“It was just like in Italy where there’s going to be a semi-final and then the final within the hour so it was good practice and I found it alright so everything’s working well,” Hyde said.
Tysoe backed up his 100m effort with an impressive run over the hurdles, storming home in a close finish in 13.82 (NWI) ahead of Hyde in 14.11 (NWI).
“The hurdles went great, I came out after the 100m not too happy so I wanted to do another run and everything went how I wanted it to go so I was really happy with it,” Tysoe said.
“I would have been happy with anything around 14.00 because I was tired from the 100m so it was a bonus to get that time. It gives me heaps of confidence and I didn’t hit any hurdles so I was really happy with that.”
The New South Welshman said the friendly rivalry he shared with teammate Hyde would prove a key advantage at next week’s world youth event.
“I think we’re heaps luckier than everyone else because we’ve got someone to push us so it’s not like we’re running by ourselves, we’re running as quick as each other and that really helps out.”
In other action on the track, 800m runner Jordan Williamsz and 1500m runner James Connor took on the 400m, the pair crossing the line in the one-lap event in 49.41 and 52.26 respectively.
Williamsz's time shaves over a second off his previous best result over 400m.
World youth 800m runners Alexander Rowe and Bronte Gange contested the two-lap race, Rowe home in 1:52.09 and Gange across the line in 2:16.32.
Fresh from setting a new personal best time in the 400m yesterday, Alex Beck took on the 200m, coming up against some strong competition from New Zealand’s world youth sprint representatives to finish in 22.58.
In the field Huw Peacock threw 65.24m in the hammer event, while Luanga Andria bettered yesterday’s javelin result by over two metres to throw 64.74m.
Long jumpers Kurt Jenner and Brooke Stratton rounded out the day's action, leaping 6.88m and 5.88m respectively.
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