Road to London: 800m Men and Women

Jeff Riseley is the closest athlete ever to breaking Ralph Doubell’s 40-year national record. Ranked number 2 on the Australian all time list, Jeff holds a PB of 1.44.64 which he posted in Reiti, Italy on September 2011. Riseley already has two Olympic A qualifiers under his belt and has a lot more to come, being under the guidance of coach Nick Bideau. Hopefully in 2012 we get to see this young talent taking Doubell’s record on home turf. Till then, let’s see what more this talent Victorian can produce. London would mark Jeff’s second Olympic Games.

Linking up with Oregon Track Club head Coach Mark Rowland at the end of 2010, Renshaw has been able to lower his personal best to 1.45.66, producing this time on home turf at the 2011 Melbourne Track Classic.  He is certainly determined and driven to once again make his second Olympic team this coming season. 

Her sights are set high on her fourth Olympic Games.  Tamsyn Manou (nee Lewis) may have a new last name but this will not stop her trying to win another Australian national title on top of her seventeen. In 2009 she became World Indoor Champion over the 800m and calls this event her pet event. However she will not shy away from the 400m, as it’s an event she feels compliments the 800m.  Looking towards London, Manou has not shunned the idea of doing the 400m/800m double. As the 400m is placed early in the track and field games schedule, Manou believes this could be a great way to take away some of the nerves and break herself into the meet before the 800m which will be ran at the end of the schedule. Her plan heading into London is firstly to achieve the 800m A mark. "The A is 1.59.9 which is going to be tough to do in Australia but my coach and I will use the domestic season and grass roots interclub to achieve the time".

Other potential contenders and up and comers in this event include two times national champion Katherine Katsanevakis (2.02.64), World University Games representative Holly Noack (2.02.64), 2011 Australian national bronze medalist Sianne Toemoe (2.02.88), 2011 Australian national silver medalist

Kelly Hetherington (2.02.89), 1500m national champion Zoe Buckman (2.03.72) and 2011 Australian 800m junior champion Eliza Curnow (2.04.83). Also not to forget 2008 Olympic representative and 2009 World University Games champion Madeleine Pape (1.59.92) and New Zealanders Nikki Hamblin (1.59.66) and Angie Smit (2.03.87) who will also be looking to grab a spot to represent the black and white.