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Three finals, plenty of interest in the opening heats of the short sprint and the prospect of an interesting battle in the 400m finals between Jana Pittman and Tamsyn Lewis were the highlights of the opening day of the Telstra Selection trials and 84th Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney today.
1998 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Stuart Rendell became the first athlete to confirm his selection in the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games, claiming his 10th consecutive hammer title with an A qualifying distance of 76.33m. Rendell becomes just the third Australian male to win 10 or more consecutive titles joining Andrew Murphy with 11 consecutive triple jump wins and Dick Lefler with 12 consecutive hammer titles.
2004 world cross country champion Benita Johnson recorded a comfortable win in the 10,000m in a B qualifying time of 32:33.09 is decidedly unfavourable conditions. Despite not achieving automatic selection, only a harsh decision at the selector’s table will deny the Melbourne based Queenslander the opportunity to race off against England’s world marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe and a trio of talented Kenyans at the MCG.
I’m very excited to race the world’s best runner at the MCG. I’m going there to win the race, it’s what I been working for and I’m really looking forward to it."
Johnson confirmed she also wanted a place in the 5000m, although she won’t toe the start line in Saturday’s final.
Teenager Dani Samuels continued her rise in the throwing ranks, defending her national shot put title with a personal best of 15.98m – although the seventeen year old was second behind Tonga’s ‘ana Po’uhila’s 16.43m. Samuel’s effort added 45cms to her previous best, however she was short of the A qualifying standard of 16.15m so she will need to rely on the selector’s discretion for a place in the team.
Into a strong headwind that billowed down the main straight at Sydney Olympic Park the men’s 100m heats were significant only for the differing reactions from Australia’s fast men and the withdrawal of Daniel Batman who is focussing on producing a barnstorming 200m on Sunday
Patrick Johnson looked the most impressive (10.46, -2.3mps), claiming "it’s only the heat," before revealing he had a slight back complaint that flared in Canberra but was now under control. Defending champion Joshua Ross (10.57, -2.3mps), sporting a 60 point diamond and relaxed demeanour, praised the work of a newly appointed mind coach for a positive frame of mind despite his sixth place finish in Canberra. "I’m treating every race like the final, I’m pumped and I’m ready to go."
Matt Shirvington (10.79, -2.4mps) looked tight as he battled the headwind before exiting the track. "I don’t feel too well", was all the waiting media pack received from the five time national champion.
Adam Miller (10.72, -1.2mps) won the final heat and Steven Tucker (10.95, -2.9mps) from Western Australia the opening heat to defeat Ambrose Ezenwa (10.98) who looked slightly bemused as he looked to his left to see Tucker claim the win.
In the women’s 100m heats, defending champion Sally McLellan recorded the fastest time (11.89, -0.2mps), ahead of Preya Carey (11.92, -1.9mps) and 1998 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tania Van Heer (12.12, -2.3mps) who looked impressive in winning her heat. Three time national champion Lauren Hewitt (12.25, -3.2mps) finished third in her heat and will need to produce a quick return to form to keep her hopes of an individual 100m berth alive after heel surgery in November.
Jana Pittman produced knee high socks and an all-black knee length bodysuit in her heat of the 400m. The 2003 world 400m hurdles champion looked comfortable in winning her heat in the fastest time of 52.86. Queensland’s Caitlin Willis won her heat in 53.41 and Tamsyn Lewis looked easy in winning heat three in 53.60.
Lewis declined to discuss her run with reporters, whilst Pittman indicated that a quick time was required in the final to convince her to attempt the 400m/400m hurdles "Debbie-double" in Melbourne.
"52.8 is OK, minus 51 in the final, if I don’t run faster there is no point running. I have to run close to 50 seconds as possible to be competitive."
Pittman’s goal is to replicate her mentor Debbie Flintoff-King’s 400m/400m hurdles victory from Edinburgh in 1986.
The final is scheduled for 7.52pm tomorrow night.
The women’s 1500m had more drama than any event never run at a national titles. Early in the afternoon, news arrived at Sydney Olympic Park that Victorian Anna Worland was involved in a plane crash at Melbourne airport, involving two aircraft clipping wings on the tarmac. Worland sat on the plane for more than an hour, before being whisked aboard a later flight to Sydney. A further delay in a taxi stuck in Sydney traffic meant Worland arrived just five minutes before the start time of her 1500m heat. Officials, fully aware of the drama, had already decided to add her to the twelve athletes who had reported for the heats – meaning thirteen runners will line-up in tomorrow night’s final.
US-based Mark Fountain produced the fastest time in the 1500m heats, cruising home in 3:46.91 in the first heat, ahead of Mark Tucker (3:47.67) and NCAA finalist Paul Hoffman (3:47.81). Collis Birmingham also comfortably cruised into tomorrow night’s final running 3:47.02 to just shade defending champion Lachlan Chisholm (3:47.15) and Jeremy Roff (3:47.29). Just 5/10th separated the first six qualifiers.
With a track temperature reading during the peak of a scorching Sydney day reaching 51 degrees., the decathletes battled the oppressive conditions before a cool change swept though Olympic Park, Queenslanders fill the top five places, with Richard Allan (4035), Jason Dudley (4029) and Manchester silver medallist Matt McEwen 3794) filling the top three positions.
There were some surprises in the women’s pole vault, where the top 10 qualifiers and ties reached the final. Two of the seven B qualifiers failed to advance, with the Games hopes of Queenslander’s Amy Beckham and Charmaine Lucock ending when they failed to qualify for the final. Tatiana Grigorieva required just one jump – her first attempt at 4.00m enough to gain the defending Commonwealth champion a spot in Saturday’s final.
With the withdrawal of defending champion Ben Offereins from the men’s 400m withdrawing from the championships, the first round was not required. Twenty-four starters will proceed to three semi-finals tomorrow night.
The heats of a Jana Pitman-less 400m hurdles proceeded without surprise. Sonia Brito (58.14) and defending champion Lauren Boden (59.84) comfortably through to Saturday night’s final
The championships continue tomorrow with the semi-finals and finals of the men’s and women’s 100m, the women’s 400m final and , men’s and women’s 1500m final, women’s long jump final the highlights.
source Athletics Australia - www.athletics.org.au
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