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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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Looking ahead towards London, Collis Birmingham is another contender that has chosen to focus on the 5000m rather than the 10,000m or the marathon. Birmingham says, "This year I'm focused on just getting fit because next year will be the biggest year you'll get in athletics." Looking to put his interrupted 2011 season behind him due to injury, Birmingham managed to finish off his 2011 season being the best placed Australian over the 5000m at the Daegu World championships. Birmingham already has one A Olympic qualifier under his belt having posted a 13.15.70. Hopefully we can see this 2008 Olympian continue again with his climb of improvements heading towards London.

Other athletes you need to keep your eyes open for over the 5000m and 10,000m this coming season is David McNeill and New Zealanders 2008 Olympic representative over the 5000m Adrian Blincoe and 2011 World championship finalist in the 5000m, Jake Robertson.

WOMEN

Two time 10,000m national title holder Eloise Welling’s sets her sights on making the London Olympics after her disappointing season ending in Daegu, which saw her withdraw from the women’s 10,000m due to injury. Welling’s, who has already run 31.41.31, achieving the Olympic A standard by 4 seconds. 

Other contenders looking to lower their personal bests to get closer to the Olympic 5000m (15:15.00) or 10,000m (31:45.00) A standard this season will be 2008 Zaptopek winner Lara Tamsett, 2011 open national cross country champion Emily Brichacek, Commonwealth games representative in the 5000m (2002) and 10,000m (2006) Anna Thompson, City to surf winners (2009) Melinda Vernon and Jess Trengrove (2011). 

 

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Craig Mottram tuned up for a possible tilt at a third Zatopek:10 title with an easy victory in the Victorian 5000 metres championships last night.

 

Running at the new athletics venue at Lakeside Stadium, Mottram shared the early pace with placegetters Brenton Rowe and Jeremy Roff before breaking away for a comfortable win in 13 minutes 46.60 seconds.

 

A world championships bronze medallist in 2005 and winner of several national titles, this was nonetheless Mottram’s first victory in his home state title. His clubmate Rowe took second place and last year’s winner, Jeremy Roff of New South Wales, was third.

 

Mottram’s primary aim was to run the pace required for an Olympic A-standard in the 10,000 metres and he achieved that comfortably.

 

The Zatopek:10, at Lakeside Stadium on 10 December, will be the Olympic selection race and Mottram said he wants to earn a place in the London Olympic team in both the 5000 and 10,000 metres.

 

“It’s always good to get in the team as quickly as possible,” Mottram said. “So I’m going to have a real crack at the Zatopek, get in the first three, get the A-standard and get in the team early.”

 

Sarah Klein took the women’s title from Sinead Diver and Sophie Barker, running 17:02.14.

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Stadium and championship records could both come under threat on Thursday night when World Championship bronze medallist Craig Mottram takes his place on the start line at Lakeside Stadium for the Victorian 5,000m Championships.

The race will be Mottram’s final hit-out in the lead-up to the ZATOPEK:10 on December 10, which he will line up in for the first time in eight years.

The 31-year-old, who has been undertaking altitude training at Falls Creek, is a strong chance to eclipse Darren Lynch’s championship record of 13:30.96 from 2000.

If he does, he will create a nice piece of history for the new track by also surpassing Ron Clarke’s stadium record of 13:39.8, set back in 1966 at a meet run on the grass of the then South Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Mottram, the national 5,000m record holder, praised the strength of this year’s field, saying: “There are a lot of great guys coming down to run. Some of the New South Wales boys are going to make the journey down, so it’s a good opportunity to race on the new track with a good group of guys that I’ve spent some time with up at Falls Creek.”

The New South Wales contingent will include World Championships and Commonwealth Games representative Jeremy Roff, who won last year’s race in 13:56.77, the fastest time for the Championships in five years.

While that mark is almost certain to be bettered this year, Mottram downplayed the prospect of breaking records.

“I don’t think we’ll set the world on fire. But it’ll be a good hard hit-out for us all.”

The gun fires on the Victorian 5,000m Championships at 7pm, this Thursday 24 November, with the main race set for 8:30pm.

For all media enquiries, phone Mitch Brown at Athletics Victoria on (03) 9428 8195, or email mitch@athsvic.org.au

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One of the consequences – intended or otherwise - of the IAAF’s shortening of the qualifying period for this year’s world championships is that some events have an alarmingly low number of qualified athletes.

For those still unaware, the qualifying period for Daegu opened on 1 October last year, cutting nine months of the period athletes have to attain the entry standards. In effect, it was a whole season, as only the early part of the southern hemisphere season falls into the last three months of the year.

With many athletes spending a good part 2011 focused on the process of making their national teams, it leaves precious little time to actually post qualifying performances. The impact is more severely felt in middle and long-distance events where the tactics of getting in the first three can militate against achieving the time required to qualify.

Indeed, as the next phase of the Diamond League kicks in with meetings over the weekend in Paris and Birmingham, only a dozen men (on a three per nation basis) have so far achieved the A-standard of 3:35.00 in the 1500 metres.

The situation is not as stark in the 800. Nineteen athletes (again on the three per nation basis and assuming I didn’t go cross-eyed counting) have attained the A-mark of 1:45.40.

Of course, one athlete per nation can be entered with a B-standard, but it is an alarming thought that just over a month before entries close, the world championships 1500 could be run as a straight final if it were restricted to A-qualifiers.

As noted, the 800 is better, but there are still not enough A-qualifiers to fill the three semi-finals so mysteriously beloved of championships organisers these days.

The state of the women’s 1500 is not much healthier, in terms of A-qualifiers. Only 16 women (three per nation) have run 4:05.90 or faster. Around 20 have bettered the 800 standard of 1:59.80.

The US championships had close and exciting racing in the distances, but no US man has an A-standard in the 1500. No British runner is qualified and no Australian either. We expect that to change, of course, but the time constraints leave little margin for error.

What’s even more disturbing, is the paucity of qualifying races. Outside the Diamond League and a couple of other meetings, very few men’s 1500s are won in 3:35.00 or better. Yet in the orchestrated races of the League, almost anyone can qualify. Eighth place in Doha and seventh in Shanghai ran under 3:35.00.

Admittedly, these were Kenyan runners who won’t count on a three per nation basis, but is eighth in Doha any more worthy of a run in the world championships right now than the winner of highly competitive races in the Australian or US titles (neither of whom is yet qualified).

 I’ve written before about the paucity of 10,000 metres races around the world which produce qualifying times. A 3:35 standard appears to be pushing the 1500 the same way.

There are hidden ‘kickers’ in other changes announced for this year. The cost to fans of the decision to make the first round of the 100 metres a ‘qualifying round’, with a small number going through to join the qualified athletes in what used to be the quarter-final round, has already been noted. No longer is it possible to buy a ticket for the first session of athletics at a world championships or Olympics and see all the best sprinters.

But there will be a nasty surprise awaiting athletes, too, if the change means a more savage pruning from the new ‘first round’ to the semi-finals. Sprinters who used to be able to count on at least two races, with a third, in the semis, if they ran their socks off, will now find themselves getting just one. Lucky these blokes will be safely off the track when they find out they won’t be coming back the next day!

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Regardless of the qualifying standards, it’s been a good week for Australian distance runners, with Jeff Riseley and Kaila McKnight added to the Daegu team after achieving the standards in the men’s 800 and women’s 1500, respectively.

With Craig Mottram and Collis Birmingham racing over 5000 metres in the Birmingham DL on Sunday and Riseley, Tamsyn Manou (nee Lewis) running the 800, and Ryan Gregson and Jeremy Roff among those chasing the 1500 qualifier over the coming weeks, let’s hope several more join them in the team for Daegu.

Footnote: Matt Centrowitz, Leonel Manzano and Andrew Wheating, the US Daegu men's 1500 selections (Bernard Lagat, second in the trial, ceded his place to Wheating), all got the world championships A-standard at the Paris DL. Rather proving the point about DL races, trials winner Centrowitz finished 11th (3:34.69), Manzano sixth (3:33.66) and Wheating ninth (3:34.39).

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Heading into the World Championships this year is a new Craig Mottram. He’s engaged to be married, has a new coach, and a new passion for both life and running.

 Getting Back To Europe

This summer marks the first full European track season since 2008 for Craig Mottram as he attempts to qualify for this year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Before heading to the Athletics Australia base in Cologne, Germany a few weeks ago the Bronze medallist from 2005 in the 5,000m had been based at altitude in Boulder, Colorado for five weeks. It was the second time Mottram had trained on the famed Front Range of Colorado – the first being after the Commonwealth Games in 2006. “To be honest the first time I trained in Boulder I didn’t really like it, going half way across the world for a training camp then having to drive everywhere for training was annoying, but I thought I’d give it another go and this time around I am loving it – I want to find out what works for me, I don’t want to still be guessing this time next year”.

Like many athletes, Mottram is a creature of habit, so days in Boulder were simple. Five weeks of running twice day, plenty of coffee from the local Starbucks, and three hours of the CBS TV series ‘Criminal Minds’ to end each evening with a little excitement. Usually Mottram likes to break up the monotony of training camps with a race. This time around the plan was a 5,000m at the Diamond League in New York, but a couple of days missed on the track forced a slight change of plans. “It wasn’t worth going to New York to run 13:25 – it was more important to just get the work done. There will be plenty of opportunities in Europe to run fast”. This is part of a strategy to stick to the basics in training, and let the races in Europe bring him along – the biggest of which will be the Diamond League Meets in Birmingham on July 10^th and Monaco on twelve days later. “Birmingham will be to just get the time for the World Champs, then Monaco will be about having a stab”.

Although Mottram now handles all his own management in regards to sponsorship and his ambassador roles, he has been working with James Templeton (agent to David Rudisha) to finalise his European racing schedule.

 Too Much Running, Not Enough Rest

After the Beijing Olympics, Mottram needed a break. Since the end of 2006 he had been battling chronic achilles pain, and it finally got the better of him. “The problem with achilles is that they creep up on you. For me, the Olympics were around the corner, I didn’t feel like I could afford to take a break, so I kept pushing. The Olympics is a trap in that regard, you don’t listen to your body. Eventually my achilles just couldn’t take anymore. It was too much running and not enough rest”.

The straw that broke the camels back came one night not long after the Olympics. Mottram’s dog Miles (born on the day of his semi-final in Beijing) needed to go outside. However, at this stage Mottram had to sleep in boots to keep his feet at 90degrees and keep strain off of his achilles. “I couldn’t get the boots off in time. I couldn’t even get out of bed to keep my dog from having to go on the carpet – I had to stop. I wasn’t enjoying running anymore”.

From there Mottram saw the best tendon specialists on the planet. They all said the same thing – they won’t get better unless you stop. Almost eighteen months later Mottram is back at work and getting close to his best. “It’s still more than twelve months until London. I’m going alright, I’m not flying – but twelve months is a long time. Maybe in 2007 I was going too well before Beijing and the only place I could go was down. Either way, I’ve had my rest and I’m ready to go”.

Changes For The Better

Arguably the biggest change Mottram has made is the switch in coaches to Chris Wardlaw; a move that Mottram believes is what will take him to the next stage of his career. “Chris and I speak regularly each week. The program is pretty basic; I don’t need someone standing over me at the track. With Chris it is a very different scenario to what I’ve had in the past. It’s refreshing. I decide a lot of the sessions I do. Chris will give me suggestions, I’ll give him feedback and then we agree on what is required – more of a sounding board. I’m really enjoying the relationship”.

Many have suggested that Mottram wouldn’t change much from what he had done in the past – but the reality is quite the opposite. “I’d be lying if I said it was the same. The whole point of changing was to change everything. In saying that, its still running. There is still bread and butter type stuff that I’ll always do”.

Heading into a full European track season is new territory for Mottram and Wardlaw as they embark on the fine-tuning that comes with racing frequently. “It will be interesting to see how that unfolds. The sessions are not as long as what I was used too. I’m 30 now – I don’t think I need to be doing 10km sessions on the track”.

Some of the changes were simple and began with running less.  “I don’t run 180kms a week now, I run 150. I have more rest now – I took two weeks off after World Cross-Country, and I took a week off after National’s. As you get older you have to listen to your body and accept that you can’t run that much without ramifications”.

“He’s Back” – World Cross Country

The World Cross Country Championships in Spain was the first real test for Mottram back on the world stage. Although things had been going well – his preparation was limited compared to years past. After September’s Great North City Games in Newcastle he had a long rest, then endeavoured on two months of base training at Falls Creek over January and February. This was followed by a 6^th place finish (2^nd Australian) at the Melbourne Track Classic in March in a time of 13:25 that Mottram described as ‘not a bad result’. “Leading into World Cross I thought top 40 would be solid, top 30 would be fantastic – If I got around 20^th that would be a hell of a run. I worked my way through – was conservative the first 5k and then ran them down that second half. I really enjoyed it. I’ve been to World Cross before and gone out through the first kilometre in under 2:30 and then come unstuck. This time I knew my fitness wasn’t where it has been, but I ran to my level and I ran really well”.

There’s More To Life Than Just Running

During his break from the sport, Mottram undertook new challenges – including finishing his University Degree. “I needed the challenge, I needed to get it done. Balance in life is crucial to performance in anything. You don’t realise how single minded you have been until something goes wrong and how much of the other aspects of your life you’ve let go”.

Being away from athletics allowed Mottram to get back to his roots. He spent time catching up with friends, family, and doing the things he says that he should have always been doing. “Running at an international level shouldn’t stop you from being a good person, friend, or family member. I may have been lacking it, but now I think I’m in a good spot. Running is going ok – it takes time. This time around I have other things that I enjoy doing that take me away from worrying about how my running is going all the time".

For a while it seemed that all Mottram had was running, which meant when running wasn’t going well, nothing was going well. “That’s what happened after Beijing. It was disappointing. I didn’t perform how I wanted and how other people wanted me too. That’s why I was proactive in making changes and trusting in those changes that I have made".

Mottram is now a balanced person as well as an athlete. He is an Education Ambassador for the Australian Olympic Committee, a member of the IAAF athletes commission, and also works for and is the face of the Adidas school’s Fun-Run. A school based program in Australia and New Zealand that promotes a healthy lifestyle and outdoor activities instead of selling chocolate and junk food for fundraisers. “That’s what I spend my time doing. When I’m in Aussie, I am working until around 4 or 4:30, then back home to run again. Its something I would have never done before. Its good for the sport and its good for the kids – encouraging them to do something healthy instead of sitting in front of the computer all day”.

The Next Generation

Mottram understands what is needed to get to the highest level in the sport of athletics, but makes no secrets about that fact that his rise was different to most. “If I had the chance I would encourage young aspiring Australian track and field athletes to go to school in America. The system that is in place in America whereby athletes study via their participation in college athletics has a lot going for it and creates opportunities that are often harder to come by on your own. I’m lucky that I was quite good at a young age - but not as many athletes are necessarily going to be at the level I was at that stage. They might get to that point eventually, but may just need a few more years to get there, and the states allows for that. The economy is hard at the moment; some of the best athletes in the world are struggling to get the support required. I think the college system is fantastic”.

Athletics is not the most lucrative sport, and many throw in the towel well before their peak, particularly when they leave university - something which Mottram believes needs addressing. “I would encourage people to continue if they enjoy it - that’s the most important thing.  It’s about consistency. If someone can run in the 13:20’s for 5k at University, there is no reason they can’t run in the 13-low range a couple of years later. It’s just figuring out what you do in between. You can get a job – I did it. I worked as a lifeguard, a swim instructor, even in a bar because I wasn’t good enough at first to get paid to just run. The thing is though, John Landy, Herb Elliot, John Walker – they all worked and they ran bloody well”.

 What Does The Future Hold For Craig Mottram?

Mottram has run world class times from the mile to the 10,000m, but is adamant what is in store for him come London 2012. “I want to run the 5k in London – I want to improve on my 8^th from 2004. I can do better than that”.

He does however plan to approach next years Olympics differently than the last. The plan is to make the team, then the final, and then reassess. Simply put, he will be breaking it down into steps that are more achievable. “I want to take it more relaxed and have fun. It won’t be all about the Olympics for me next year – it will be about running the best I can every time I step on the line, and see where that places me”.

After the London Olympics Mottram will then decide whether to stay on the track or head to the roads. “I want to run a marathon – I’ve never made a big secret about that. I want to get to 30k and see what all the fuss is about. I watch them all the time and it fascinates me seeing someone looking so good to so bad in ten minutes!”

As for what really matters – Mottram just wants to focus on keeping his life balanced, getting some good performances out of running, and seeing where he ends up.

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This weekend will see athletes from Australia and New Zealand lining up on the track in Ireland, France, Germany, and Holland.

In Cork, Ireland many ‘ANZAC’s will be competing at the 60^th Cork City Sports Athletics Meet. From Australia, James Kaan and Brett Robinson and Zoe Buckman will compete over 1500m in Cork, who will be joined by Kiwi's Hannah Newbould and Olympic Silver Medalist Nick Willis. Other Kiwi’s competing in Cork include Elizabeth Lamb in the High Jump and Aaron Pulford in the 3000m who is backing up from his 3^rd place at the British U23 5,000m champ’s last week. Australian David McNeil is also entered in the 3000m.

At the same time the Meeting International in Sotteville les Rouen, France Australians Ben Offereins will contest the 400m, while Jeremy Roff will line up in the 1500m. In the Long Jump Robbie Crowther is entered, with Queensland’s Henry Frayne is in the Triple Jump.

Both Craig Mottram and Mark Fountain are entered in the 1500 at the Mondon Keien Meeting in Uden, Holland, while Mitchell Watt will be in Germany at the Bad Langensalza Long Jump Meet.

Stay tuned to Runner’s Tribe for results.

 

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The coming fortnight is shaping up as one of the biggest in Australian athletics this year, with more than 30 athletes competing at 14 meets in 11 countries.


Opening the green and gold account internationally are Lachlan Renshaw and Craig Mottram, with the duo set to compete at the Meeting Stanislas in Nancy (FRA) this Friday. Renshaw will for the third time this year face off with world record holder David Rudisha (KEN) in the 800m, while Mottram's 1500m start is his first in Europe this year.


The Gold Coast Athletics Centre will this weekend host the last of four Winter Series meets. Attracting a bounty of Australian track and field talent, the start list on Saturday includes five athletes selected to compete at the IAAF world championships later this year.


On Sunday, dual Olympic medallist Jared Tallent will start in a 50km road walk as his wife Claire Tallent competes across 20km at Round 8 of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Dublin (IRE).


World and world indoor championships bronze medallist Mitchell Watt rounds out the list of Australian starters overseas in the coming two weeks. He will take to the runway in Germany on July 2 before establishing a European base in Cologne (GER) with his coach Gary Bourne and training squad.


*Italics denotes athletes already selected for the IAAF world championships


June 24: Meeting Stanislas – Nancy, FRA

800m: Lachlan Renshaw (24, NSW)

1500m: Craig Mottram (31, Vic)


June 25: Golden Pole International – Busan, KOR

Pole vault: Liz Parnov (17, WA)


June 25: 57th Janusz Kusocinski Memorial – Sczcesin, POL

1500m: Jeremy Roff (27, NSW), Mark Fountain (29, Vic)

Discus throw: Benn Harradine (28, Vic)


June 25: Cottbus International – Cottbus, GER

Javelin: Kim Mickle (26, WA)

3000m steeplechase: Youcef Abdi (32, NSW)


June 25: Gold Coast Winter Series Meet #4 – Gold Coast, QLD

100m: Laura Whaler (23, NSW), Charlotte Van Veenendaal (22. Qld)

200m: Sean Wroe (26, Vic)

M 400m: Steven Solomon (18, NSW), Tristan Thomas (25, ACT), Joel Milburn (25, NSW),

Nick Boylett (24, Qld)

W 400m: Jody Henry (26, WA), Anneliese Rubie (20, NSW)

100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (24, Qld)

Long jump: Robbie Crowther (23, ACT)


June 26: IAAF Race Walking Challenge – Dublin, IRE

20km walk: Claire Tallent (29, ACT)

50km walk: Jared Tallent (26, ACT)


June 26: B.A.A 10-kay – Boston, USA

10km: Benita Willis (33, Vic), Shawn Forrest (27, Vic)


June 28: Sollentuna Grand Prix – Sollentuna, SWE

800m: Ryan Gregson (21, NSW)

1500m: Zoe Buckman (22, ACT), Collis Birmingham (25, Vic)


June 30: Bauhaus Junioren-Gala – Mannheim, GER

400m: Alexander Beck (19, Qld)

800m: Eliza Curnow (19, Vic), Kuey Diew (18, Qld)

1500m: Jordan Williamsz (18, Vic)

High jump: Brandon Starc (17, NSW)

Long jump: Brooke Stratton (17, Vic), Tim McGuire (19, SA)

Pole vault: Liz Parnov (17, WA)

Shot put: Damien Birkinhead (18, Vic), Liam Speers (19, NSW)

Discus throw: Taryn Gollshewsky (18, Qld), Liam Speers (19, NSW)

June 30: IAAF Diamond League – Lausanne, SUI

100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (24, Qld)


July 2: Meeting International – Sotteville les Rouen, FRA

1500m: Jeremy Roff (27, NSW)

Triple jump: Henry Frayne (21, Qld)


July 2: 60th Cork City Sports – Cork, IRL

1500m: Zoe Buckman (22, ACT), James Kaan (20, NSW)

3000m: David McNeill (24, Vic)


July 2: Bad Langensalza Long Jump Meet – Bad Langensalza, GER

Long jump: Mitchell Watt (23, Qld)


July 3: Gold Coast Marathon – Gold Coast, QLD

Half marathon: Lara Tamsett (22, NSW), Nikki Chapple (30, Vic)

ENDS

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This Friday in Nancy, France will mark the return to the European Circuit of the real Big Mazungo – World Bronze and Commonwealth Silver Medallist Craig Mottram.  

For almost two years Mottram has been on the sidelines, and despite a couple of flirtations with the track that included a 13:25 performance at the Melbourne Track Classic in March, this is a new beginning for the Australian Record-Holder as he endeavours on his first full track season under the guidance of coach Chris Wardlaw as they seek to build upon his 21^st place at the World Cross Country in Spain earlier this year.

As runner up to Ben St.Lawrence in the Australian 5,000m champ’s which were run as part of the Melbourne Track Classic, Mottram will need to run 13:20 to gain automatic selection for the World Titles that begin on August 27 in Daegu, South Korea.

Mottram has spent the last five weeks training hard at altitude in Boulder, Colorado and heads to the Australian base in Germany today before opening up with a 1500m in France.

 

Mottram’s first crack at the A Standard over 5,000m will be at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix on July 10^th.

 

Stay tuned to The Runner’s Tribe for an exclusive feature interview with Craig Mottram as well as results from this season.

 

 

 

Daniel Wallis for The Runner’s Tribe

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The Patching-Up Of My Sinking Ship 

By David McNeill

G’Day Everyone!

 

It’s been a while since the last blog, and as far as my performances go, not much changed over my Australian track season.  Last time I blogged, I closed out my US college career in far-from-ideal fashion (a stitch-hampered final cross country race), and followed it up with a below-par track season in Australia.  The transition from the US college running scene to the more independent “professional” running scene didn’t go as I had hoped, and so mistakes were made, and performances suffered.  But that is not what I will blog about today.  I’d rather fill you all in on the positive progress I have made since my last poor performance at the Melbourne 5k, and praise the handful of people who have stepped in and rescued me from the sinking ship that was my running career back in March.  The people who will be getting a well-deserved plug include Jason Antonelli, Craig Mottram, my new Coach, James Li, and my new training partner and friend (I still get goosebumps when I refer to him as that), Bernard Lagat.  I hope this early name-dropping will entice you all into a tantalizing read…well, I can’t promise the read will be as enticing and tantalizing as the above mentioned names…But anyway, here goes; the patching up of my sinking ship:

 

Jason Antonelli was probably the first person to stand in and get the ball rolling for me again. Jason and I both run for the Old Xaverians AC in Melbourne, and for 2 weeks in February, we trained entirely together down in Queenscliff (along the Victorian coast).  Over many a latté at Kelp Café, and over perhaps a few too many Tim Tams, Jase and I developed not only a great friendship, but a sense of common ground, when it came to our love for running, and our gratitude towards the people that make running possible.  Jason would make any Jesuit proud.  For those of you who don’t know who the Jesuits are, lets just say Jase is a very selfless and compassionate person.  He made me realize how important it is to have someone to share the ride with.  I’d taken for granted how hard it was to fly solo, and how when we fly solo, it is so easy to stress and get caught up and distracted by the little things we can’t control.  Had I not had Jase to train with, I probably would have spent an extra 30secs saying goodbye to the Olympic Park track during that 5k race at the start of March, and I would not have realized that what I needed most for my running to start improving again was a training partner/group, and a plan!

 

Craig Mottram helped me instigate the first part of my plan after that Melbourne race.  That plan was to start relaxing, and block out the extraneous issues I couldn’t control.  I was fortunate enough to room with Craig at the World Cross Country Champs in Spain.  Craig has clearly experienced the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, and had a wealth of experience to share.  He had been humbled by a debilitating Achilles injury for a good two years, and had showed the world that he wasn’t afraid to start from the bottom, and work his way back to the top at his own pace and in his own way.  Most of the time, Craig was just good entertainment.  Between his unique morning alarm clock that got us out of bed each morning, to his animated mealtime discussions with one of the junior runners on the team, Joshua Johnson, Craig was relaxed and enjoying the team experience.  This was a leaf I definitely needed to take out of his book.  And so I did.  Don’t get the wrong idea when I say this, but my week on the Spanish coast leading up to the World Cross race was the holiday I needed!  My experience rooming and chatting with Craig taught me to relax, and allowed me to extract a better performance from myself than I had been able to all summer.  Craig was encouraging, and a good friend in Spain.  I managed a 42^nd place, which was my best result at World Cross, and allowed me to be the second Aussie across the line on the day.  I loved being amongst a team that week, and shooting the shit with Benny Saint, Liam, Clint, and Collis, and all the other guys and gals!  Running is a fun sport, if only we open the doors to that possibility.

 

I returned to the US after world cross with a better attitude and a better idea of what I needed to do to get myself back on track, and start running some PBs again.  I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Coach James Li of the University of Arizona over my time at home in Australia, with the offer of a helping hand if I needed it.  I hadn’t thought much of a new coach or a new training location, as I had figured Coach Heins and Flagstaff would continue to provide what I needed.  But if I had learnt anything from Jase and from Craig, I knew I couldn’t extract my best on my own.  I knew I would be somewhat on my own and left to my own devices in Flagstaff.  And with Coach Heins’ head coaching commitments, and his demanding travel schedule, it would have been unfair to expect as much from Coach Heins as I had when I was on the team.  I am incredibly grateful for where he had taken me, and even more grateful for the support he provided in my transition over to Coach Li.  Coach Heins was a selfless and supportive coach, and shared the excitement of new beginnings for me! I couldn’t ask for a better mentor or friend than that.  And so I started working with Coach Li, and haven’t looked back.  Coach Li has coached some of the best athletes in the world, and continues to coach the ageless champion, Bernard Lagat.  When Coach Li contacted me, my performances were dropping, and there was no prospect of a shoe contract or any money to be made.  The experience of being believed in by another human being – especially one who you have only just met - is such a humbling experience, and says a lot of my new Coach.  Coach Li is a quietly passionate coach, and one of the humblest I have met.  With his help, I have learnt to put a little more belief in myself, and have reaped the rewards of his expertise and guidance.  I am yet to race yet under his guidance, but when I finally do get that opportunity to race, I plan on making the most of it, and showing all my friends and family what he has guided me to.  I do hope my performance will match the appreciation of have for his coaching and support.

 

Last, but definitely not the least defining piece of the puzzle (that has been the patching up of my sinking ship) has been a guy by the name of Bernard Lagat.  Back in 2001, at the IAAF Grand Prix final in Melbourne, as a 14 year old, I staggered through the crowds to get this man’s autograph after he finished second behind Hicham El Guerrouj in the 1500m.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined 10 years later, I’d be his training partner and friend.  However, it is not the novelty of training with one of the greatest middle distance runners of all time that has affected me the most.  It is the man’s character and integrity, which most definitely exceeds his incredible athletic accomplishments.  Certainly, there aren’t many people I have met in my life with this man’s credentials, but there are also very few I have met with as big a heart, and as helpful a hand as his.  When we did 5 weeks of training up in Flagstaff, Bernard picked me up and drove me to training everyday, got me some new running shoes and clothes, got me into the 5k race at the New York Diamond League (which is this coming weekend), and provided me the stimulus and company as a training partner that I needed.  From Bernard, I have learnt new athletic limits – or a lack there of – within myself.  I have learnt what it means to train hard and to train smart.  In the lead up to my first race of the season, Bernard and his wife, Gladys have had me stay at their home for nearly three weeks, making me feel at home, and making me feel a part of their family.  In preparing to race while I make the transition from life in Flagstaff to life in Tucson, Bernard has helped give me the best chance to get the most out of the opportunity I have.  The man is a true champion, and has an amazing family.  My gratitude towards him exceeds my admiration for him as an athlete, which says a lot.  My only regret now is that it would be just plain awkward for me to ask him for his autograph! Oh well, I’ll take him as a training partner instead!

 

I’ll leave this blog here for now, and hope to give you a bit of a look at my training in the next installment.  Oh, one more plug: to my Mum and Dad – my coolest and favorite supporters!  Oh, and sorry for the American spelling of a few words in this blog.  I bought my computer in the US, and the auto correct is set to US English, and I couldn’t be bothered changing it all.