04.05.2009

Lewis leaps to first overseas hurdles title

Tamsyn Lewis has taken out her first international hurdles title with a win in Shizuoka, Japan.

The 30-year-old Victorian and reigning Australian 400m hurdles champion raced home to claim her first international win in the event in a time of 57.10.

It was the first time Lewis had raced the event on overseas soil, turning her attention to the hurdles only after last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Lewis’ run was almost a second outside her career-best 56.27, set at the national championships in Brisbane in March.

The long-time 800m runner and winner of nine national 800m titles has set her sights on the 400m hurdles as she continues her bid to race a major international track final.  

Selected to the 400m and 400m hurdles events for the 12th IAAF world championships in August, Lewis will continue to hone her technique over the hurdles in the months leading up to Berlin.

Also in Shizuoka, fellow Australian Brendan Cole finished fourth in the men’s 400m hurdles in a time of 50.22.

Lewis and Cole will this week be joined by a larger contingent of Australians ahead of the IAAF Grand Prix event in Osaka on Saturday. 
  
En route to Japan ahead of the weekend meet are Melissa Breen (100m), Sally McLellan (100m), Kaila McKnight (1500m), Lauren Boden (400m hurdles), Kim Mickle (javelin throw), Sean Wroe (400m), Jeff Riseley (800m), Ryan Gregson (800m) and members of the men’s and women’s sprint relay teams.