David McNeill (VIC)

DOB: 06 October 1986

Age:

After missing qualification for the 2015 World Championships 10,000m by 0.01 seconds, David McNeill secured selection for Rio 2016 by running a 10,000m qualifying time in the USA in May 2015 and then winning Zatopek in December. This was his second Games after competing in the 5,000m at London 2012. In Rio, he placed 16th in a good time of 27:51.71. He became the only Australian ever to run under 28 minutes at the Olympic Games.

David has had a long and successful career in the green and gold. He first represented at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games and in the ensuing years has competed at two Olympics, four World Cross Country Championships, a Commonwealth Games and a World Championships.

In pursuit of Commonwealth Games selection, David McNeill placed an excellent third in the 10,000m at Zatopek, which doubled as the Australian selection trial, in December 2017. With selection not certain, he focused on the national 5000m championship in February and ran his best time for six years (13:19.51) in oppressive humid conditions to place second in his first A qualifier and secured automatic Commonwealth Games selection. He was also named in the team for the 10,000m.

McNeill is a self-proclaimed foodie and cooking enthusiast. He once baked a cake that Jamie Oliver liked and retweeted on Twitter. He has been a vegetarian most of his life and more recently, a pescatarian. He has a Bachelor of Science & Exercise Science from Northern Arizona University (2007 - 2010) and Master of Science in Exercise Physiology - Northern Arizona University (2012-2014). His grandfather John McNeill was the 1939 Victoria state champion in Australia in the long jump and triple jump.