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The men’s 4x100m relay team has moved closer to securing a lane in London after clocking 38.84 at the Shizuoka International Track & Field Meet in Shizuoka (JPN) this afternoon.

 

Anthony Alozie (Vic) burst out of the blocks for the men’s team, before the baton moved through Isaac Ntiamoah (NSW), Andrew McCabe (Qld) and Tim Leathart (NSW).

 

Their performance sees the aggregate two-time performance for the team improve to 77.53 (38.84 in Shizuoka plus 38.69 at IAAF world championships), which when compared to IAAF rankings issued on March 2, 2012, sees the Australian team sit 11th overall and well within the top-16 countries, who will make up the starters at the Olympic Games.

 

Paul Hallam, the men’s 4x100m relay team coach, said: “The boys ran very well with the time close to the target we were chasing. I haven’t had a chance to look at individual splits or the changes on film yet but as a team they ran great and should be proud.

 

“To be honest, I thought they were a little conservative so in Kawasaki we hope to stretch them out a little more and improve our aggregate again. Josh Ross will join the boys there and he will add some experience which I am sure they will benefit from.”

 

The event was won by Japan in 38.69, with China second 38.71.

 

In other Australian highlights in Shizuoka:

-       The women’s 4x100m team (in running order of) Melissa Breen (ACT), Charlotte Van Veenendaal (Vic), Hayley Butler (NSW) and Jessica Knox (NSW) finished 4th in 45.00. Their international ranking of 14th remains unchanged.

-       Breen clocked 23.52 (w: 0.0) for third in the women’s individual 200m, while Alex Carew (Vic) crossed in a personal best 21.27 (w: +1.5) for fifth in the men’s event.

-       Lauren Boden (ACT) made her 2012 international debut with a 55.85 to win the women’s 400m hurdles, while Brendan Cole (ACT, 50.23) and Tristan Thomas (Tas, 50.39) were 4th and 7th respectively in the men’s race.

-       James Gurr (NSW) placed 4th in the men’s 800m in a time of 1:49.58.

-       Craig Burns (Qld) was 7th in the men’s 400m after crossing the line in 47.34.

-     A men's 4x400m relay team of Burns, Carew, Kurt Mulcahy (NSW) and Cole placed second in 3:07.97 behind host nation Japan (3:05.52).

 

The men’s 4x100m relay team will next start at the Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki (JPN) this Sunday, May 6.

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Interview By Lara Nicod

 

For ACT’s shining 400m hurdler Lauren Boden August 3, 2012 is definitely one date that is marked in her dairy.  Why? Because this date marks the beginning of the track and field timetable at the London Olympic Games, it also marks the 24^th  birthday of this 400m hurdle star. Omen or not? 

 

Hopefully for Lauren Boden she can say this is a positive omen, which will help to bring her Olympic dream alive and made into reality.

 

Lauren opens up to Runners Tribe readers, speaking about the backbone of her success, pathing her own path and the emotional roller coaster ride she has been riding this past Australian athletic season.

 

RT: Since realising your Olympic dream and putting your heart and head into making it reality, it must be a relief knowing you have been nominated by Athletics Australia to be part of the Athletics team for London Olympics.

 

LB: It is such a relief to have been nominated by Athletics Australia for the 400H at the London Olympics. It means I can get straight back into base training and really prepare myself to be in the best shape possible by the time London comes around. It can be very stressful having to chase qualifying times and leading into the 2011/12 domestic season Matt (Beckenham – coach) and I planned a few comps to target and really go for the ‘A’ qualifying time (55.50).

 

RT: Talk us through the emotions and feelings that came over you firstly in Sydney when you ran an Olympic A qualifying time and also when you received the news from Athletics Australia over your nomination in the athletics team for London.

LB: At the Perth Track Classic I missed the Olympic ‘A’ qualifier by 0.11s but instead of getting annoyed and anxious I knew the Sydney Track Classic was a week later and I just hoped the conditions would be good there! In Sydney I warmed up well and was excited to be racing. Matty and I discussed stride patterns and the wind was not ideal for me, however I stuck to my guns and insisted on the same stride pattern from Perth.

The race went to plan and as I came off the last hurdle I just tried to turn my legs over as fast as they would go. About 20m from the finish line I could hear the crowd roaring and I just lunged for the line and looked at the clock to see 55.48 come up. I couldn’t believe it and just prayed that it would not round up over 55.50! Thankfully it didn’t and I could not wipe the smile off my face, knowing I had just run the ‘A’ qualifier for the London Olympic Games!

At the Selection Trials in Melbourne it was very wet for my 400H race and despite the conditions I still expected to run close to the ‘A’ qualifier, to really cement my spot on the Olympic Team. I ran 56.01 to win the trials and received the call from Athletics Australia three days later to say that I had been nominated for the Australian team. I laughed and cried and then started figuring out whom I should tell and in what order! It still gives me goose bumps and makes me smile when I think back to my run in Sydney and then that phone call!

 

RT: Still only 24 years old, how long have you and your coach Matty’ B been planning and working towards achieving your Olympic dream?

 

LB: I’m actually turning 24 on August 3^rd, which is the first day of the athletics at the London Olympics, so hopefully that is a special omen! I have been under Matty’s amazing guidance and coaching since December 2002 and since then we have always set realistic goals and tried to build a strong base that will sustain me for many years of running to come. I was never a kid who grew up wanting to be an Olympian so I think the dream began in 2005 when I won my first Open 400H National Title and then went on to World Youth from there.

 

The Olympic Games are the ultimate competition and to get there it is a long journey. For Matty and I, I think we have just kept chipping away, working on weaknesses and biding our time. As athletes we want everything to happen immediately, so to have the vision and patience to wait for the right time, I think that is the key. And even now, even though London is this year, there is still a part in the back of the mind that is thinking about the 2016 Rio Olympics too.

 

RT: You have been involved in Athletics since you were young, having started Little Athletics at the age of five and progressing into senior competition in later years. In the 2004-2005 season you claimed your first senior national title and went on to be crowned 400m hurdle champion on five separate occasions.

 

At a youth/junior level you had the opportunity to represent Australia in both the 400H and long jump. Later, you competed for Australia in Melbourne at the Commonwealth Games, World University Games and then in 2010/2011 you had a breakthrough, making your second Commonwealth Games team and placing 4^th in the 400H final. As well, you furthered your success in in 2011 by making the Australian team for the World Championships in Dageu.

 

With such a long list of creditable achievements, do you feel like you have been in the shadows of dual 400m-hurdle World champion, Jana Pittman since the beginning with her dramas and achievements?

 

RT: I think that being in the same event as Jana, there are always going to be comparisons drawn. But I am my own athlete and have never expected to achieve what Jana has achieved at the same age. Jana is an amazing athlete and has achieved success that very few Australian athletes get to experience in their career. Every athlete and their journey are different, so for me, it has been about development and making the most of opportunities when they arise. During 2007/2008 people wrote me off and said I’d never make it in senior athletics, but Matty and I were taking our time and developing aspects of my training that we felt needed improving and would reap the greatest rewards.

 

I do not feel like I have been in Jana’s shadow, I have had so many great opportunities internationally over the last 7 years, as well as being able to shine on the Australian circuit too.

 

RT: Secondly, do you feel like you are finally coming out from this shadow and making your own mark in Australia and internationally, with Jana being away from the track due to injury and focused on less in the media?

 

RT: I think I have always been ‘on the scene’ so to speak, it just depends what the media choose to focus on. I have been training hard, racing domestically and winning national medals for the last 7 years and I don’t feel like I’ve been in Jana’s shadow. For me, I feel like it is time to prove myself internationally and when this happens I think that Australia will know there are two world-class 400m hurdlers in the country!

 

RT: From now right up to the August 5^th which is the first round of the women’s 400m hurdles in London, what does your training and racing program look like?

LB: As soon as the selection trials were over I went straight back into base training, in preparation for some races throughout Europe in the lead up to the Olympics. I will be competing in Japan in early May, just for a different stimulus, but this will still be in the middle of heavy training. I then plan to run in Canberra on June 10^th and head to Cologne, Germany to base myself, probably from mid-June onwards. I will be looking to race once a week, similar to our domestic season in Australia and then go to Tonbridge to base before going into the London Olympics village at the end of July.

RT: You have a great amount of support around you from your family, friends, training group and coach, medical staff and sponsors. Do you believe that having such a supportive team surrounding you has contributed to your success in Athletics?

LB: Without a doubt, if it were not for my amazing support network made up of my family, coach, training squad, friends and sponsor, I would not be the athlete or person I am today. To have so much love and support around me make me feel like I can step out on the track, any day of the week and race stress-free. There is always a friendly face in the crowd and to know that so many people genuinely care about what I do, it is quite humbling and very encouraging. I can’t thank them all enough for their on-going support, but I can vow to always run my best and do them proud!

RT: Do you believe having an elite training squad around you with the likes of Brendan Cole and Melissa Breen to name a few and a coach like Matt Beckenham,  a former Australian Olympic representative in the 400 hurdles helps you to deal with the lows you experience in your sport, heighten the highs when achieving goals and fuel you in training and in competition to get the best out of yourself, as they can empathise with you?

LB: The great thing about Matty and the MattyBDEPT training squad is that everyone is on a level playing field, we all respect each other and support each other no matter what the competition is or what situation we are in. I think it is quite unique, to have such a dynamic yet close group of people, who train and socialise together but know how to separate the two. I love coming to the track to train because I know I am going to be smiling most of the time I am there, enjoying the company of the training squad and then knuckling down to get the hard training done.

I’m sure it is something that is often taken for granted but having the right training environment is so important for performance at any level and I really have to thank Matty for being not only a passionate, innovative and amazingly knowledgeable coach, but for continuing to support myself and the rest of the MattyBDEPT squad. Matty has had a fabulous year so far, with two athletes already named on the Olympic Games Team and the potential for more to be added. I can’t wait to experience the pinnacle of our sport with the greatest coach, Matt Beckenham J

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Following the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic & Olympic Trials, Athletics Australia has identified a further 17 athletes for nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee in June subject to them meeting ongoing form and fitness requirements.

 

Youcef Abdi (NSW, 3000m steeplechase), Brendan Cole (ACT, 400m hurdles), Henry Frayne (Qld, triple jump), Craig Mottram (Vic, 5000m) and Jeff Riseley (Vic, 800m) are all eligible for automatic nomination under the Athletics Australia Nomination Criteria.

 

These five athletes have been identified as a result of finishing first in their respective event at the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic & Olympics Trials and having recorded an Athletics Australia qualifying standard or distance either at or at least twice prior to the event since the qualifying period commenced on 1 May 2011 (for all events except the marathon, 10,000m, combined events and walks, whose period has run since 1 January 2011).

 

Claire Tallent (ACT) and Jared Tallent (Vic), who is already eligible for nomination in the 50km event, have also been identified for nomination after winning the Australian 20km Race Walking Championships in Hobart (Tas) in an Olympic qualifying time.

 

In addition, the following athletes have been identified discretionary  nominations based on Clause D (4) of the Athletics Australia 2012 Nomination Criteria:

Collis Birmingham (Vic, 5000m)

Lauren Boden (ACT, 400m hurdles)

Alana Boyd (WA, pole vault)

Zoe Buckman (Vic, 1500m)

Henry Frayne (Qld, long jump)

Regan Lamble (ACT, 20km walk)

Beki Lee (NSW, 20km walk)

Kaila McKnight (Vic, 1500m)

Liz Parnov (WA, pole vault)

Dani Samuels (NSW, discus)

Ben St Lawrence (NSW, 10,000m)

Julian Wruck (Vic, discus)

 

Frayne becomes the first Australian since Ian Tomlinson in 1964 to have qualified for nomination in both the triple jump and long jump at an Olympic Games. The 20-year-old jumped 8.27m in the long jump at the Sydney Track Classic and then won the event in Melbourne with a best of 8.09m.

 

Also victorious in Sydney was Boden, whose time of 55.45 saw her dip under the Olympic qualifying time of 55.50 and maintain a consistently improving run of form throughout the domestic season.

 

Boyd has cleared the Olympic qualifying standard of 4.50m a staggering eight times since the qualifying period commenced, which includes a new Australian record of 4.76m set in Perth late last month. She is joined by training partner Parnov, who faces the prospect of competing at the IAAF world junior championships in Barcelona (ESP) just weeks prior to the 2012 Olympic Games.

 

Birmingham’s Olympic qualifying standards in the 5000m were set in his namesake city in England last year at the Diamond League meet and at the Briggs Athletics Classic last month. Samuels also recorded her qualifying standard in Birmingham last July.

 

If selected by the AOC to the 2012 Australian Olympic Team, Boden, Buckman, Frayne, Lamble, Lee, Parnov, McKnight, St Lawrence and Wruck will make their Olympic debut in London.

 

The 17 named athletes above join a previously identified eight of:

Luke Adams (NSW, 50km walk)

Jarrod Bannister (Vic, javelin)

Nathan Deakes (ACT, 50km walk)

Benn Harradine (Vic, discus)

Kim Mickle (WA, javelin)

Sally Pearson (Qld, 100m hurdles)

Jared Tallent (Vic, 50km walk)

Mitchell Watt (Qld, long jump)

 

These eight athletes together with today’s additional 17, including Frayne and J. Tallent in two events, take the total team count to 25 in 27 events.

 

Pearson, Boyd, Mottram and Frayne will all compete at the IAAF world indoor championships in Istanbul (TUR) this weekend, along with Dale Stevenson (Vic), who is in career best form after a 20.16m personal best on the weekend, and Ryan Foster (Tas).

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The sun was out on day three of the IAAF world championships and there were some bright results for the Flame, with Lauren Boden (ACT) setting a season’s best in the 400m hurdles and Benn Harradine (Vic) qualifying for tomorrow night’s discus final.

 

Harradine was the first Flame athlete in action when he took to the field in Group A of discus qualifying, alongside defending world champion Robert Harting (GER), Olympic championGerd Kanter (EST), and Virgilijus Alekna (LTU) and Robert Fazekas (HUN), who both have 70m plus personal bests.

 

With the automatic qualification mark set at 65.50m, Harradine’s first effort went just shy of 60m but resulted in a foul. His second looked to have much more conviction as it fell at 63.49m, which resulted in his sixth place finish at the end of Group A.

 

With the morning sun baring down on the stadium he then took refuge in the little shade available on the in-field, before his final throw of 51.86m. Harradine thenendured a nervous wait as Group B took to the stadium. However, only four athletes in the second group threw further than the Commonwealth Champion, which meant qualification for the final.

 

Piotr Malachowsi (POL) heaved the longest throw of 65.48m, from Group B, while Ehsan Hadadi (IRI) topped the A’s rankings with 65.21m.

 

Harradine said: “I’m a guy who likes to be feeling a lot of tightness when I’m throwing and when it’s so hot your muscles are really long and it’s hard to maintain that sort of tightness. It wasn’t extremely bad but I was just not consistent, which added a little bit of pressure.

 

“It will be a different story at night time, a little bit cooler and just a little bit more relaxed. Once you’re through you can - not relax - but take a breath and then re-motivate yourself and try and smash some throws.”

 

As Harradine learnt of his qualification for the final, Boden was on the track in the first heat of the 400m hurdles. The 23-year-old ran an impressive race, in a heat which included the fastest hurdler the year Kaliese Spencer (JAM), to finish fourth and set a new season’s best time of 55.78.

 

Boden said: “I’ve been training really well and I knew that if I just concentrate on getting my stride pattern I’d be able to run fast. Now the jobs done it’s a relief I’m into the semis. Now I’ve got nothing to lose, I’m going to give it all my all tomorrow night.

 

“My flat speed has gone a lot better now that it ever has been. So it’s been a bit hard to correlate that over to the hurdles, but today I think I executed itpretty well and I took an extra stride into hurdle ten so I can always try and fix that up tomorrow night.”

 

There was disappointment for Youcef Abdi (NSW) in the 3000m steeplechase. The Olympic finalist finished 28^th overall having finished eight in the third and final heat, which contained the fastest athlete in the world this year, Brimin Kiprop Kipruto (KEN). 

 

Abdi sat behind him and his compatriot Abraham Kipkiron Chircher for the first few laps in a bid to keep in touch with the top four automatic qualifying spots. However, he was unable to respond when Benjamin Kiplagat (UGA), the Kenyans and Roba Gari (ETH) broke after 2000m.

 

Abdi said: “It was tough. I tried to go with the leaders and make sure I secured the first four places to qualify automatically. I went good for three or four laps and then my body just started to feel a bit tight and it wasn’t responding as good as I thought it would. It was very a hard day, I’m disappointed.”

 

The 2011 IAAF World Championships are LIVE on SBS TWO with daily highlights from 27 August – 5 September.

 

ENDS

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Hi Everyone,

The 2009/10 season started well with a couple of 400H races in Canberra and then Sydney GP in Feb. This was the first big race of the season and also the first big breakthrough I had. I won the race in 55.75, a massive chunk off my previous PB (56.11), the first time I broke 56-sec and it was also my first ‘A’ qualifier for Commonwealth Games. Safe to say I was on cloud 9 that night! It was amazing to see what could happen when I executed my stride pattern correctly! The season progressed along very well with 2 more ‘A’ qualifiers to come in Canberra (55.85) and in Perth where I won Nationals (55.86) and was automatically selected for Comm Games.

My 400H final at Nationals was on the last day of competition and I had a tough act to follow. My training partners Melissa Breen (100m) and Brendan Cole (400H) had both done their job and won their respective events, thus being selected for CG’s and so it was up to me to make it 3-from-3 in the Matt Beckenham stable. Gladly I didn’t disappoint, and even with a 90% perfect 400H final I had done the job! It was so exciting to be selected automatically for the Commonwealth Games; although I went to Melbourne 2006 CG’s this was different because I’d run numerous qualifiers and won Nationals.

I went to Japan after Nationals and competed in Shizuoka and Osaka, where I won both Grand Prix events and set 2 new 400H PB’s along the way. I ran 55.49 in Shizuoka and then 55.25 in Osaka; both times I ran the right stride pattern but was happily surprised by the time the clock read. Coming into the season I wanted to qualify for CG’s (A=55.9) but I honestly did not expect to run as fast as I did. Both of these times in Japan were under the ‘A’ qualifier for World Champs (55.5) which was amazing for me to experience. These results injected a new confidence and belief in me which carried over into my training.

My preparation for Comm Games went well; I had 3 races in Europe where I ran 56.98 (5days off the plane!), 55.48 (Rieti, Italy) and 55.30 (Split, Croatia). My race at Continental Cup, Croatia was solid but I knew there was plenty more training to do, so the fact that I had run only 0.05 off my PB was very exciting, especially with a month still till Comm Games. Training was going really well, although I had no more 400H races until my heat in Delhi.

I made it through my heat in Delhi comfortably, in a time of 56.72 but I felt like I had some more up my sleeve. In the 400H final I ran from lane 7 which in hindsight may not have been ideal as I had all the pace on my inside lanes. However, I ran the race to win. I came into the home straight in the lead and unfortunately didn’t quite get the right stride pattern into 9H and the 3 fast girls came up on me. I finished 4^th in 56.21 and after crossing the finish line I didn’t know what to feel. I felt upset and disappointed that I’d missed a medal by 0.25, I was annoyed at myself for not getting my stride pattern, I was happy that I’d made the final and I was proud, for not getting overawed by the situation of a final at the Commonwealth Games and being able to stick it to some of the best 400 hurdlers in the world.

My experience at Commonwealth Games was invaluable and I am very happy with the way I handled myself, raced and was able to learn from the things I did. Straight after CG’s I had 3wks off to relax and recharge. I was more motivated than ever for the season to come but I knew it was important to rest as well. I’ve now been back in training for 3mths and everything is going well. The ‘A’ qualifier for World Champs is now 55.4 which means I have run 2 times under this qualifier; even though they don’t count it is still great for me to know I can run it. I opened my 2010/11 season with a 57.33 400H 2wks ago which was a solid run, especially after it poured at the track! I’m heading to Hobart this weekend for the Graham Briggs Memorial Meet which will be my first 400H of the Australian Athletics Tour.

Till my next blog,

Lauren J

P.S For more information on ‘Lauren Boden’ I have my own website you can check out. www.laurenboden.com I will be keeping it up-to-date during the season, adding posts, my own blogs and some training and race footage. I hope you enjoy it!

by Chris Wainwright

Matt Beckenham - Making His Mark on the International Coaching Scene (Part 2)

**Editor: Please note the following interview was conducted on the 1^st August, and was broken down into two parts due to the length of the interview**.

• Mizuno – Lauren Boden and Tom Burbidge
• Asics – Melissa Breen and Brendan Cole
• 2XU – Brendan Cole

by Chris Wainwright

In 2000 Matt Beckenham was representing Australia at the Sydney Olympics in the 400m hurdles. A decade on he will be playing an important role as coach to the likes of Melissa Breen, Lauren Boden and Brendan Cole as they step out onto the track at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

We caught up the 34 year-old Beckenham just prior to his trip over to Singapore for the Youth Olympics, where he will be leading some of Australia's top youth track athletes.


Currently I am also looking at running some junior coaching clinics (MattyB’s FIT4FUN) within the ACT. I presented the concept at a recent ACT Little Athletics AGM and the feedback was quite positive. I have put 7 of my senior athletes through a coaching course so that they can run the sessions and earn some money to help them cover some of their expenses. I will act in a mentor role and try and offer local little athletics clubs with a mechanism for retention of athletes and also provide a coach development and training service.

{part 2 - coming soon to RT}