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Lauren Boden (ACT) ran an impressive 400m hurdles at the Sydney Track Classic and was rewarded with an Olympic qualifying time tonight, as was Sally Pearson (Qld) in the 100m hurdles and 200m, Youcef Abdi (NSW) in the 3000m steeplechase, Henry Frayne (Qld) in the long jump, and Alana Boyd (WA), again, in the pole vault.

 

Boden opened her domestic campaign in Canberra with a time of 56.62 and has since consistently improved. Here, she ran over a second faster than that opener and crossed the line in 55.45, 0.05 faster than the coveted Olympic qualifying mark of 55.50.

 

Boden said: “That’s just perfect. I saw the clock and thought please don’t round up and thankfully it didn’t. I was having a debate with my coach Matty B (Beckenham) before about what stride pattern to run. It was alright for now but there’s room for more improvement.

 

“Last week I was really close in Perth and I think a lot of people would’ve gotten stressed by that but I knew for me Sydney was ahead and used that as motivation, and I think it worked.”

 

Also impressive in the hurdles was world champion Pearson, who won the 100m event in 12.66 (+1.6 m/s), her fastest ever in Australia.

 

Pearson returned later to clock another Olympic qualifier in the 200m, her first. The IAAF World Athlete of the Year had hoped to run sub-23 seconds, but while she was unable to achieve that, in 23.06, it was the first time she has run below the Olympic qualifying standard.

 

Pearson said: “Tonight has been a fantastic night, running 12.66 in the hurdles is a world-class time. I ran it in my second last race of the season last year and now I’ve run it in the second race of this year.”

 

“I just try and get out, run my race and run fast.

 

“Every year it pushes me to run faster and faster in the 200, I know I’m capable of 22.5. I just have to have the right competition and the right night and hopefully it will come together.”

 

Abdi’s performance of 8:22.01 adds a third qualifier to his burgeoning resume in the 3000m steeplechase. He now just needs to win at the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic to secure his nomination for London 2012. The race was won by Kenyan Jairus Kipchoge (8:19.04).

 

In the field Frayne jumped a huge personal best of 8.27m (+1.4m/s) in the long jump tonight to make him the second Australian to have the all important Olympic mark.

 

His performance added 28 centimeters to his previous career best. It also set a new best Australian long and triple jump double, beating Phil May who boasts marks of 8.04m and 17.02m. World indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) came second in 8.04m.

 

Frayne said: “I came hoping to run down the runway and sort my run-up for the triple jump in Melbourne in a fortnight. They were pretty nice conditions tonight,with a tailwind, and things just kind of came together.”

 

Over in the pole vault, Boyd entered the competition at 4.40m and then bowed out at 4.60m, her seventh Olympic qualifying mark. It followed her training partner, Liz Parnov (WA), recording her first Olympic mark 24 hours earlier in Perth (4.50m).

 

In arguably the most competitive track race on the schedule, the men’s 400m had some international flavour in the shape of David Rudisha (KEN). The 800m world record holder and world champion hadn’t run the one lap since he set a personal best of 45.50 in Sydney two years ago.

 

He once again was a threat, as he pushed John Steffensen (WA) to the line in 45.61. Steffensen backed up his win last week with the win in Sydney and while Rudisha couldn’t set another personal best, he did finish second in 45.82. Ben Offereins (WA) came third in 46.09 and Kevin Moore (NSW) fourth in 46.25.

 

Steffensen said: “I just want to thank my team, I've got a wonderful team, wonderful backing and I'm loving my running at the moment.

 

"I wouldn't call it a reincarnation I’m just doing what I’m meant to do and run fast you know, got great backing and am truly blessed to be in this position.”

 

Also on track, world and Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop (KEN) won his first race on Australian soil, in the 800m in 1:45.91. When the pacemaker dropped out at the bell, Kiprop went on to lead through to the end while Jeff Riseley (VIC)made a late charge down the home-straight moving from fifth to second and across the line in 1:46.55. Lachlan Renshaw (NSW) finished third in 1:46.98.

 

The women’s 800m was equally thrilling, when Tamsyn Manou (VIC) won by 20m in 2:01.53 and her training partner Katherine Katsanevakis (VIC) came second in 2:03.79.

 

In other highlights:

-       Zoe Buckman (VIC) made it a hat-trick of wins on home soil in the won 1500m. When the bell soundedBuckman made her charge and opened up a further gap to go clear of the field, to win in a time of 4:09.89. Bridey Delaney (NSW) came second in 4:12.92 and Melissa Duncan (VIC) was third in 4:14.13

-       Paralympic gold medallist Evan O’Hanlon (ACT) equaled his own world record in the T38 200m of 21.98, which is the fastest time since the Beijing Paralympics. This run follows his world record in the 100m in Brisbane last month and empahsises the form he is currently in.

-       Hannah Cockroft (GBR) broke her own T34 400m world record with 59.99 in as did Michelle Stilwell (CAN) in the T52 world record with 65.41.

-       Collis Birmingham (VIC) ran a thrilling 1500m but had to take second in 3:35.74 after David Torrence (USA) pipped him on the line to win in 3:35.66.

-       World and Olympic champion Valerie Adams (NZL) dominated the shot put with a winning heave of 20.67m

-       Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton (USA) won the discus with a best mark of 63.23m, with Dani Samuels (NSW) second (60.98m).

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Last year, David Rudisha's campaign to become world champion began in Australia and so the Kenyan superstar is hoping a return visit to Sydney and Melbourne, for the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour, will put him on the path to Olympic glory.

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Round 4 of the Australian Athletics Tour has thrilled a crowd of almost 5000 in wet conditions at Sydney Olympic Park tonight, with Australia’s best track and field stars joining a bounty of international heavyweights in delivering an athletics showcase at the 2011 Sydney Track Classic.

 

Leading the charge on the runway was Mitchell Watt, with the world and world indoor championships bronze medallist soaring 8.38m (w: +1.5) to win and secure his first IAAF world championships qualifier.

 

Returning to the sandpit after missing much of 2010 through injury, Watt’s form has been gradually building. An 8.13m (w: +0.1) leap to win in Brisbane three weeks ago was followed by 7.98m (w: +1.2) for victory at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic just over a fortnight ago.

 

“Four fouls across the series was strange, it just took some time to work out where my run up should have started from,” Watt said.

 

“It’s only my third competition back and some things are taking a little bit of time to get used to again but there are definitely bigger things to come”

 

Watt’s performances sits within the top 4 of the IAAF outdoor rankings, and as such the Queenslander heads home with eight points for victory and ten bonus points to take a commanding lead in the jumps division of the Australian Athletics Tour.

 

“It felt great to get out that far; 8.08m was good but to get to the world champs (sic) qualifier is great, it was a bigger jump than I won bronze with in Berlin.”

 

Rounding out the top three was Kane Brigg (second, 7.58m, w: +0.2) and Shaun Fletcher (third, 7.54m, w: +2.2).

 

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kim Mickle also etched her name on the qualifiers list, heaving a personal best 63.82m to stamp an initial claim for selection to the IAAF world championships.

 

A mixed series that included two fouls was concluded by her monster effort in the final round of competition to take home the eight points for victory and five bonus points for a top 16 IAAF outdoor rankings performance.

 

NSWIS scholarship holder Laura Cornford (57.74m, six points) was second, with Flame athlete Kathryn Mitchell (53.48m, four points) third.

 

In other field highlights:

-          World discus champion Dani Samuels heaved 58.34m (eight points + two bonus points) to win the women’s discus throw and continue her push for the Australian Athletics Tour throws title.

-          Olympic and world champion Valerie Adams dominated the women’s shot put with a winning 20.55m best throw, two centimetres shy of her own meet record.

-          In the men’s event, it was Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Dale Stevenson who took victory with a best mark of 19.74m (eight points + two bonus points).

On the track, 800m world record holder David Rudisha stole the show by dominating a scintillating two laps to win in a time of 1:44.81.

 

Despite being unable to improve on his 1:43.88 at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, Rudisha’s time was a meet record and caps off an outstanding showcase by the African champion Down Under this year.

 

“My run tonight was good, the conditions here were wet and tough and a 1:44 on a night like this is satisfying, I am feeling very strong and confident” Rudisha said.

 

“From here I will head back to Kenya and continue the build to Daegu with the Doha Diamond League my first major hit out after Australia.

 

“I love competing here, I was here last year and my results always seem to be good so I hope to be back.”

 

Local favourite and national champion Lachlan Renshaw blistered the straight to place second (1:46.06) ahead of fellow New South Welshman James Gurr (third, 1:46.62), whilst Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop (KEN) placed 5^th in a time of 1:46.80.

 

Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson once again dominated the women’s short sprints by clocking a meet record 11.21 (w: +0.1) to win the 100m and 23.12 (w: -0.2) to take line honours in the 200m.

 

Narrowly missing the IAAF world championships qualifier of 44 seconds with her 4x100m relay team mates Melissa Breen, Laura Whaler and Charlotte Van Veenendaal, Pearson burst out of the blocks in her individual events with a point to prove.

 

“I am really, really exhausted after the treble tonight, but the 100m result really pushed me to go hard in the 200m,” Pearson said.

 

“I couldn’t have been happier with my 100m, and was rapt by my start in the 200m.

 

“Things are starting to come together, my race plans are working and hopefully strong results will continue to follow.”

 

Pearson now heads to the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final in Perth as leader of the sprints/hurdles division with 20 points.

 

In the men’s sprints, it was American Angelo Taylor who reigned supreme.

 

Edging out up and coming sprinting sensation Nicholas Hough (second, 21.03) to win the 200m in a time of 20.71 (w: -0.1), Taylor (45.71) returned to the track for victory in the men’s 400m ahead of national champion Ben Offereins (second, 46.16) and outstanding 17-year-old Steven Solomon (third, 46.24).

 

In other track highlights:

-          Estonian Maris Magi stopped the clock at 52.21 to win a thrilling women’s 400m, with 15-time national champion Tamsyn Lewis second (52.26) and American Monica Hargrove (52.33) third.

-          Jamaican Kenia Sinclair (4:06.50) won the women’s 1500m, with the surprise performance coming from 15-year-old Anna Laman (NSW) who clocked 4:13.62 to place fourth.

-          A likely challenger to Sally Pearson in the sprints/hurdles title race, Commonwealth Games representative Lauren Boden clocked 56.41 to win the women’s 400m hurdles.

-          Clocking 3:39.03, Flame athlete Jeremy Roff took home eight points for winning the men’s 1500m, edging out American Craig Miller (second, 3:39.42) and Queenslander Nicholas Toohey (third, 3:39.87).

The Australian Athletics Tour now heads to Perth, with the West Australian capital set to play host to the Australian Athletics Tour Final on Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1.

 

With all championship events on the timetable, Australia’s best track and field stars will battle it out across four divisions (sprints/hurdles, jumps, throws, distance) with bonus points set to make the title races thrilling until the very end.

 

To view the full results of the 2011 Sydney Track Classic, please click here.

 

ENDS

The Runner’s Tribe coverage of The Sydney Track Classic has proven to be a huge success. The live streaming attracted over 3,000 viewers throughout the program. Although the stream wasn’t HD quality it was still an excellent base to build on. Viewers tuned in from around the world with the help of our partners at Flo Track, Athletics NSW, and Athletics Australia. RT is working on giving our viewers the best possible picture quality to watch Australian races in the future.



Our main man on the ground, Edward Ovadia, recorded over 20 video interviews with Australia’s top athletes.

Within the coming days RT will also be loading up over 1000 photos from the STC coverage for free use. That’s correct, no watermarks, no copyrights, just professional quality pictures of Australia’s elite. 

Sydney Track Classic

Preview

The Runner's Tribe, in conjunction with Athletics NSW and Athletics Australia, are excited to announce the Sydney Track Classic on Saturday February the 27th, will be live streamed.  This is a first for track and field in Australia and means fans will be able to watch the action unfold in real time.

Viewers from all over the world can tune in to www.runnerstribe.com from 5:30 pm Sydney time, with the last event scheduled for 9:06 pm.

There will also be high quality post race edited footage, so that viewers can enjoy both live streaming, as well as high quality edited videos with multiple camera angles.

The Runner's Tribe will also be on the ground video interviewing the main stars of the night.

We hope that our viewers enjoy the service and we look forward to making this a regular feature of Runner's Tribe.  Many thanks goes out to Athletics NSW and Athletics Australia for supporting this initiative and making it possible.

Andy Axford's comment - "I thought it was the 100m freestyle?"

Thanks Andy