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10 Athletes / Events to watch at World Champs

Published Tue 24 Sep 2019

Commencing Friday night AEST is the 17th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. Here are ten Australian athletes/events to watch during the 10 days of thrilling competition amongst the 210 countries,. 

KELSEY-LEE BARBER (ACT) – Javelin

There is no hiding the fact Kelsey arrives ranked number two in the world, just 18cm behind China’s Huihui Lyu, but has the challenge of overcoming a very high quality field. But clipping at her heels are two more athletes with seasonal bests over 67 metres and a field of 13 athletes with 67 metre PBs. Also in the line-up is CZE’s Barbora Spotakova the world record holder, two time Olympic champion and defending world champion, along with Rio Olympic champion Sara Kolak (CRO).

But Kelsey has been at a new level in 2019, not just once, but consistently which is the key for her.

“I’ve put a good distance out there to show that I’m in the fight for the medals, but I’ve also shown consistency in my series and my competitions and this is something I can be proud of and it gives me confident going into the major championships.”

  • Women’s Javelin Qualification: Monday 30 September @ 4:30pm (Group A) or 6:00pm (Group B) (Group A – 11:30pm AEST, Group B – 1:00am 1 Oct AEST)
  • Women’s Javelin Final: Tuesday 1 October @ 9:20pm (4:20am Oct 2 – AEST)

 

BRANDON STARC (NSW) – High Jump

The men’s high jump was a very open event until two weeks ago when a possible decisive performance by BLR’s Maksim Nedasekau who took the world outdoor lead with a PB clearance of 2.35m. This event really will depend on what athletes can bring on the day and who turns up. Commonwealth Games and 2018 Diamond League final champion Brandon Starc has turned around a sluggish start to 2019 with two recent 2.30m clearances.

“My season started off a little slow and I’m still managing a bit of a back issue, but that kind of slowed things at the start. I took a few steps back at training and tried to work it out during some earlier comps but had a nice 6-7 weeks block of training before this European trip and I think that did me well and now I’ve got a few good comps under my belt.”

The event will receive much local attention with home-town favourite Mutaz Essa Barshim who in recent years has leapt 2.43m but has been troubled recently by injury and has this year cleared just 2.27m. Australian national champion, Joel Baden starts alongside Starc.

  • Men’s High Jump Qualification: Day 5 Tuesday 1 October @ 4:50pm (11:50pm 1 Oct – AEST)
  • Men’s High Jump Final: Day 8 Friday 4 October @ 8:15pm (3:15am 5 Oct – AEST)
     

CATRIONA BISSET (VIC) – 800m

The women’s 800m looks to be a USA v Lynsey Sharp (GBR) challenge with America’s Ajee Wilson, bronze medallist at the 2017 Worlds, favourite. But could Melbourne’s Catriona Bisset be about to make Australian history in this event? Ranked sixth, she will arrive with confidence she can match it will this field. At the recent London Diamond League she pushed Sharp to the line (1:58.61 to 1:58.78) and also in that race Catriona took the scalp of number two ranked Jamaican Natoya Goule.

She also brings the confidence from a very successful multi-round competition at the World University Games where she managed three races in three days and won the final from an uncustomed position of running in a pack.

Her goal at all competitions is “to run every race honestly, without fear of failure, and to support my competitors and teammates.”

  • Women’s 800m Heats: Day 1 Friday 27 September @ 5:10pm (12:10am 28 Sep – AEST)
  • Women’s 800m Semi Final: Day 2 Saturday 28 September @ 7:15pm (2:15am 29 Sep – AEST)

 

NICOLA MCDERMOTT (NSW) – High Jump

In 2017 Nicola McDermott received a last minute call-up to compete, via an IAAF roll-down, in the high jump at the London World Championships, but two years on, she is top-8 hope.

The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games bronze medallist has compiled a very competitive 2019, placing top-8 in five Diamond League meets with the highlight being third in Monaco. She also raised her PB to 1.96m to sit equal third Australian all-time. Her goal is “I want Australia to get to the next level for high jumping and that is for a female to jump over two metres.”

  • Women’s High Jump Qualification: Day 1 Friday 27 September @ 6:40pm (1:40am 28 Sep – AEST)
  • Women’s High Jump Final: Day 4 Monday 30 September @ 10:30pm (3:30am 1 Oct – AEST)

 

LAUREN BODEN (ACT) – 400m Hurdles

After her best domestic season yet, Lauren Boden lines up for her 16th Australian team. Her summer PB of 54.87 means she arrives in Doha ranked 10th, but the field is queued up behind her – another 21 athletes within one second. Lauren has a strong international record at global meets (Olympics & world championships) with five semi-final berths in the 400m hurdles. Minimum she looks likely to add to that tally following some strong pre-departure performances.

In the event are also Sarah Carli (NSW) and Sara Klein (NSW).

  • Women’s 400m Hurdles Heats: Day 5 Tuesday 1 October @ 5:30pm (12:30am 2 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s 400m Hurdles Semi-Final: Day 6 Wednesday 2 October @ 9:05pm (4:05am 7 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s 400m Final: Day 8 Friday 4 October @ 9:30pm (4:30am Oct 5 – AEST)

 

 

STEWART MCSWEYN (TAS) – 1500m & 5000m

Stewart McSweyn will double in the 1500m and 5000m becoming the first Australian to attempt the double at the same championships. The timetable enables this double nicely, the 5000m is on days 1 and 4 and the 1500m days 7, 8 and 10.

Stewy’s best event in 2019 has been the shorter distance taking the Australian indoor 1500m record in February and twice running 3:31.81 to just miss the national record of 3:31.06 held by his training partner Ryan Gregson. He has also been strong over 5000m this year running 13:05. He is ranked top-12 in both events and rated ninth by Track and Field news in the 5000m.

  • Men’s 5000m Heats: Day 1 Friday 27 September @ 7:55pm (2:55am 28 Sep – AEST)
  • Men’s 5000m Final: Day 4 Monday 30 September @ 9:50pm (4:20am 1 Oct – AEST)
  • Men’s 1500m Heat: Day 7 Thursday 3 October @ 10:00pm (5:00am 4 Oct – AEST)
  • Men’s 1500m Semi-Final: Day 8 Friday 8 October @ 8:10pm (3:10am 5 Oct – AEST)
  • Men’s 1500m Final: Day 10 Sunday 6 October @ 7:40pm (2:40am 7 Oct – AEST)

 

20KM RACE WALKERS

Australia has a great new generation of race walkers in Doha. Commonwealth Games champion Jemima Montag and teenage World University Games champion Katie Hayward are setting us up for another great decade of race walk performances. Katie ranked 11th and Jemima 18th could feature higher than their ranking which is typical of Australians performing above than their entry rank.

In the men, Commonwealth Games champion and Rio bronze medallist Dane Bird-Smith is joined by Rio Olympian Rhydian Cowley who has gone to a new level in 2019, clocking two Tokyo Olympic qualifiers and moving to number seven Australian all-time. The 28-year-old hits the roads of Doha ranked top-15.

  • Women’s 20km Race Walk: Day 3 Sunday 29 September @ 11:30pm (6:30am 30 Sep – AEST)
  • Men’s 20km Race Walk: Day 8 Friday 8 October @ 11:30pm (6:30am 5 Oct – AEST)

 

JESSICA HULL (NSW) & LINDEN HALL (VIC) – 1500m

Making her senior international debut in Doha is 22-year-old metric miler Jessica Hull. Since graduation from college in June, she has destroyed her 800m, 1500m, mile and 5000m PBs. She has taken four and 34 seconds respectively from her 1500m and 5000m bests to be ranked four and three Australian all-time. She is ranked top-20 in the 1500m for Doha and is tactically savvy with a gold and silver in the last two NCAA 1500m outdoor titles.

After a run of injuries over the last year, national 1500m and mile record holder Linden Hall is progressing well with every run and with a couple of 4:04 times in Europe, the Rio Olympic semi-finalists brings major meet experience to her Doha campaign.

  • Women’s 1500m Heats: Day 6 Wednesday 2 October @ 5:35pm (12:35am 3 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s 1500 Semi-Final: Day 7 Thursday 3 October @ 11:00pm (6:00am 4 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s 1500 Final: Day 9 Saturday 5 October @ 10:55pm (3:55am 5 Oct – AEST)

 

WOMEN’S 4x400m Relay

Australia’s depth in women’s 400m running is approaching the record levels of around 2000. In Doha our squad is Lauren Boden, Bendere Oboya, Bella O’Grady, Ellie Beer, Caitlin Sargent-Jones and Rebecca Bennett. Highlighting the depth, also in Doha is Morgan Mitchell (running 800m), our fastest 400m athlete for the last 12 years; Carley Thomas (running 800m) who relay split 51.7 at the World Juniors and two quick 400m hurdlers Sarah Carli and Sara Klein. While back home we have training towards Tokyo Olympians Anneliese Rubie and Jessica Thornton and in Brisbane, 2016 World U20 Championships medallist Ella Connolly.

  • Women’s 4x400m Heat: Day 9 Saturday 5 October @ 7:55pm (3:55am 6 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s 4x400m Final: Day 10 Sunday 6 October @ 9:15pm (4:15am 7 Oct – AEST)

 

BROOKE STRATTON (VIC) – Long Jump

At the 2017 World Championships, Brooke Stratton placed a tremendous sixth - the highest place by an Aussie in the event, surpassing some of our greats, Bronwyn Thompson, Nicole Boegman and Robyn Lorraway. Her competitive results continued at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games where she won silver. Although ranked 22nd on seasonal bests for Doha, she is one of just eight seven metre jumpers in the field and the experienced campaigned will be in the mix.

  • Women’s Long Jump Qualification: Day 9 Saturday 5 October @ 5:50pm (12:50am 6 Oct – AEST)
  • Women’s Long Jump Final: Day 10 Sunday 6 October @ 7:15pm (2:15am 7 Oct – AEST)

 

David Tarbotton for Athletics Australia

 

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