David McNeill (VIC) 

DOB: 06 October 1986

Age: 34

Coach: Nic Bideau
Event: 5000m, 10,000m
Occupation: Athlete
Twitter: RUNDMC_Neill
Instagram: RUNDMC_Neill

David McNeill is set to become a three-time Olympian at this year's Tokyo Olympics, having qualified in the 5000m at the age of 34. McNeill clocked 13:12.12 to secure the Olympic standard, his first personal best in the event since his 13:18.60 in 2012 - making the Australian stalwart one of the feel good stories of this Olympic team.  

After missing qualification for the 2015 World Championships 10,000m by 0.01 seconds, 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 of 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 progressed to finish 12th in the Commonwealth Games 5000m final. 

McNeill endured a light 2019 season, with the highlight a fourth place finish in the 10,000m national championships before not racing once in 2020. 

Enter 2021 and McNeill loked to be in reasonable form when running 13:36.08 in the 5000m national championships, before he produced an eye-catching run over 3000m to set a new personal best of 7:46.41. This sparked a resurgence from the 34-year-old, who proceeded to clock a scorching 13:12.12 at a low key race in Perth to secure the Olympic 5000m standard. Since then, McNeill has once again lowered his 3000m personal best - running 7:39.43 in Oslo to become the sixth fastest Australian of all-time over the distance. 

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.