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Australian junior record for Gregson
World junior representative Ryan Gregson became the first Australian junior to break 8 minutes for the 3000m overnight (Friday), reclaiming the national junior record with 7:57.45 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Jeff Riseley won the invitational mile in 3:54.24, narrowly defeating fellow Victorian and Olympian Collis Birmingham who recorded 3:54.36. Their impressive performances moving them to fifth and sixth respectively on the Australian all-time list, ahead of the great miler Herb Elliott.
Gregson first came to prominence when he broke Craig Mottram's under-20 national record over 3000m when he was just 17 and still a student at Bulli High School in New South Wales.
South Australia’s Richard Everest (8:00.76) has been the owner of the 3000m record for the last two months, until Gregson stole it back last night.
It was Gregson’s second national junior record in just two weeks.
At the Sydney Track Classic on February 28, the 18-year-old thrilled the 8000-strong crowd when he ran a four second personal best (3:37.24) in the 1500m to finish a close third in a quality field stacked with Kenyan and Australian internationals. A world championships B qualifier, he also sliced two seconds from the previous national junior record set by Michael Hillardt in Sydney in 1980.
Gregson and Birmingham will depart for Amman, Jordan next weekend to commence their preparations for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 28.
Riseley will return to the track to contest the 1500m at the 87th Australian Championships which commence next Thursday (March 19 – 21) at QSAC in Brisbane.
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