30.05.2008

Watt a run by Mitchell

Berlin-bound Mitchell Watt is officially the fastest long jumper in Australian history, after posting a flying 10.37 (+1.3) over 100m on the Gold Coast this afternoon.

Despite racing in long-jump spikes, Watt flew down the straight to defeat Victorian Sean Wroe (10.51) and fellow Queensland long jumper Chris Noffke (10.67), with 2009 Stawell Gift winner Aaron Stubbs fifth in 10.77.

Watt’s time is the equal fourth fastest of the year, sitting just behind renowned Australian sprint specialists Bola Lawal (10.29), Anthony Alozie (10.29), Josh Ross (10.34), Aaron Rouge-Serret (10.36) and equalling Matt Davies (10.37).

Incredibly the 21-year-old only returned to the sport at the beginning of 2008 after a five year hiatus. Joining the Gary Bourne jumps squad in Queensland, his progression in the long jump over the last 16 months has been remarkable.

During the recent summer Watt posted a series of eight metre-plus jumps including a massive 8.17m, a leap which moved him to seventh on the Australian all-time rankings list and secured his selection on his first world championships team.

One to watch now and into the future.

In other results on the Gold Coast, Victorian Madeleine Pape threw her hat into the ring for world championships selection in the 800m, after recording her first B qualifier and her second fastest time ever with a quality 2:00.34 run.

Already selected in the 4 x 400m relay team, the 25-year-old will be hoping to re-visit the sub two-minute territory in the coming months. The Beijing Olympian will compete again on the Gold Coast in three weeks time, before heading over to Europe ahead of her first competition in Madrid on July 4.

Pape’s training partner Sean Wroe (20.97) sliced three hundredths of a second off his lifetime best in the 200m to secure victory over Matt Davies (21.20) and Aaron Stubbs (21.67).

Wroe, who will contest the 400m and 4 x 400m at the world championships, will return to the Gold Coast in three weeks time before commencing his European campaign at the Bislett Games in Oslo on July 3.

Unfortunately the photo finish failed in the much-anticipated 400m, Beijing 100m hurdles silver medallist Sally McLellan recording a hand-timed 54.11 for the one lap.

Meanwhile in Melbourne, Mark Tucker and Nikki Chapple have taken out the Sandown Classic 10km race.

Tucker, who will make his world championships debut in the marathon in Berlin, ran away from Jeff Hunt (NSW) over the final 800m of the race to cross the line in 29:25, whilst Chapple clocked 32:38 to take five seconds off the women's race record held by Anna Thompson.

In other athletics action still to come this weekend:

-          Benita Johnson will be chasing her fourth consecutive victory in the Freihofer’s 5km in Albany, New York

-          Andrew Letherby (marathon pace), Lisa Weightman (half marathon), Scott Westcott (half marathon) and Shane Nankervis (half marathon) take on New Zealand’s best in the Christchurch Marathon.

-          Lachlan Renshaw, Nick Bromley and Ryan Gregson take to the start line of the Balmoral Burn, a 420m dash up Awaba Street hill in Sydney.

-          Tom Barnes (20km) continues his World University Games preparations at the next leg of the IAAF Race Walk Challenge in Krakow, Russia and

-          Rising sprint star Melissa Breen line ups in the 100m in Canberra.