Teenage sensation Cameron Myers and seven-time global medallist Jessica Hull are scorching favourites on the second day of the Australian Athletics Championships, which will also feature Paralympic medallist Rheed McCracken and world record holder Angus Hincksman.
All eyes will be on the Women’s 1500m Final tonight where Olympic silver medallist Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) will meet rising star Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram), with the race touted as one of the highlights of the four-day championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
For Hull, the race is not only the first of three finals she intends to contest, but so too the most important.
“There is a lot of personal pressure because the 1500m means so much to me to win,” Hull said looking ahead to the final.
“It’s definitely the one I care the most about, especially with such an incredible field, it will be amazing to win.”
Hull enjoyed racing back in Australia in front of a home crowd when cruising to victory in yesterday’s heats.
“I’ve got my parents in law and nephew here who loves watching me race, so I’ve got a smile on my face,” Hull said.
In the Men’s 1500m, rising star Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) and World Indoor medallist Adam Spencer (VIC, Tomasz Lewandowski) are the clear-cut favourites, while reigning Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare (NSW, Dathan Ritzenhein) is chasing his best form ahead of Glasgow.
“There are so many great guys who are at a world class level in Australia, so I’m excited for the final and I’m also looking forward to the 5k the next day,” he said.
The Women’s Hammer Throw looms as a showdown between Olympian Stephanie Ratcliffe (VIC, Dale Stevenson) and World Championships teammate Lara Roberts (QLD, John Frazier), with Roberts’ qualifying throw of 65.79m landing her as the top seed over Ratcliffe with 64.82m.
“It’s great to be back competing at Nationals in Australia for the first time since 2022,” Ratcliffe said.
“Qualifying went smoothly and I’m really excited for tomorrow’s final. We have got a great bunch of girls out there so it should be a fun competition.”
Mia Scerri (VIC, Ralph Newton) is on the verge of a breakthrough win in the heptathlon after posting four personal bests on the opening day of competition to lead the Olympic duo of Tori West (QLD, Eric Brown & Sam Leslie) and Camryn Newton-Smith (QLD, Ralph Newton & Gavin Hunter), with her favoured long jump to open the day and qualifying bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
In the Para-athletics ranks, a pair of wheelchair racing showdowns will see longtime rivals and friends Samuel McIntosh (VIC, Fred Periac, T52) and Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauavage, T34) do battle over 100m and 400m, while Samuel Carter (ACT, Fred Periac, T54) will also launch himself into contention.
Teenager Layla Sharp (NSW, Greg Smith, T38) is inching closer to her Commonwealth Games debut in the Women’s Long Jump T38 having shattered multiple Australian records already this year, meeting Paralympian Telaya Blacksmith (NSW, Jacinta Doyle, T20) in Sydney.
World Para Athletics Championships bronze medallist Annabelle Colman (VIC, Liz Gosper & Anthony De Castella, T20) will look to add another Australian title to her growing resume when taking on the Women’s 1500m Ambulant, while Angus Hincksman (SA, Philo Saunders, T38) will return fresh off his world record on the opening day of competition to go head-to-head with Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy, T38).
Triple jumper Desleigh Owusu (NSW, Andrew Murphy) will chase her fourth consecutive national title as the first Australian woman to qualify for a global championships in the event in 2025, bringing her 13.86m personal best to lead the event which features World Under 20 Championships bronze medallist Tiana Boras (VIC, Alwyn Jones).
The first round of the Men’s will see Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Islein) and Rohan Browning (NSW, Jack Edwards) stretch their legs ahead of tomorrow’s semi-finals, while the Women’s 100m is wide open with favourites including Ebony Lane (QLD, Christopher Dale) and Chloe Mannix-Power (QLD, Brett Robinson).
Day Two of the 2026 Australian Athletics Championships will be broadcast on 7plus from 3:50pm – 7:00pm AEST, before switching to Channel 7 from 7:00pm – 9:00pm.
Full entry lists and timetables are available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse and Luke Dennehy, Australian Athletics
Posted 10/4/2026
