30.06.2009

Beck at his best on the Gold Coast

Australia's world youth championships representatives have taken advantage of ideal conditions on the Gold Coast to fine-tune their preparations for the sixth edition of the IAAF event ahead of their departure for Bressanone, Italy, on Friday.

In the last race of the day it was Queensland local Alex Beck who stole the show, storming home in the 400m to set a new personal best time of 48.02.

The time shaves .03 off the previous best mark of 48.05 Beck set at the Australian Under 20/23 Championships in Adelaide in April.

“It was a great run, I felt really strong through the last 200m of it and I let the New Zealand guy get away from me a bit at the end but I was really happy with it,” he said.

“The time has taken me a little bit by surprise, I’ve had a little bit of a back injury and just a few niggles here and there in training but I knew I was in good shape and it’s just really good to get the result.”

The one-lap specialist has already set his sights on bettering that mark overseas next week, the world youth titles the ultimate incentive to cracking the elusive 48.0 barrier.  

“I have to crack that 48.0 and be a man in terms of 400m running and I’m getting closer to it so hopefully it will happen in Italy,” he said.

Beck was joined in the field by athletes from Ireland, New Zealand and Vanuatu, the strong field helping him across the line in career best time.

“It’s always good to run against quality opposition and for a guy who’s going to the world youths it’s really good to see some of the other athletes out there and see what I can do.”

800m runner Bronte Gange took on the girls' one-lap race, stopping the clock at 59.57.

In other track action New South Wales duo Mitchell Tysoe and Cameron Hyde went head-to-head in the 110m hurdles, clocking 14.02 and 14.22 respectively.

Kane Grimster and James Connor claimed the one-two double over 1500m, Grimster crossing the line in 3:51.39 to edge out his New South Wales rival in 3:54.43.

In the field Tasmanian Huw Peacock launched the hammer 62.92m, while Ben Talakai (53.32m) and Liam Speers (53.25m) battled out a close contest in the discus throw.

Peacock and Speers returned to the field to join world youth shot put representative Damien Birkinhead in the boys’ shot put event. Birkinhead threw 18.2m to take out the event ahead of Speers (17.49m) and Peacock (15.54m).

In the girls’ discus throw Taryn Gollshewsky recorded a best distance of 44.05m, just shy of her personal best 46.54m.

Rounding out the throws events, Brisbane athlete Luanga Andria posted 62.33m in the javelin.

In the jumps pit Victorian Brooke Stratton leapt 6.02m, within range of the personal best 6.10m she recorded in Brisbane in March.

Kurt Jenner recorded a best leap of 7.08m (w: 2.0) in the boys’ long jump event.

High jump duo Denise Snyder and Amy Pejkovic posted jumps of 1.70m and 1.77m respectively, while Andrew Neville cleared J2.00m.

The 22 members of the world youth championships team were joined at the track by Beijing Olympics silver medallist Sally McLellan in her last hit-out on home soil before deaprting for Europe tomorrow.

McLellan, who won a gold medal in the 100m hurdles and placed fifth over 200m at the 2003 world youth event in Sherbrooke, Canada, was quick to offer a message of support to the world youth team.

“Just have fun, this is where I started and now look at me. If they can just have fun and enjoy what they do they’re going to go really far.”

Image: Jodi Lambert