Adelaide Invitational Launches Australian Athletics into 2023

Australia’s track and field stars tonight revealed their cards in front of a healthy crowd at the Adelaide Invitational, putting their off-season progress into practice to launch the 2023 Chemist Warehouse Australian Summer of Athletics to a hot start.

Sprinters Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy) and Naa Anang (Gary Bourne) claimed early bragging rights in the blue ribband events of the evening, the 100m, stopping the clock in times of 10.25 (+1.3) and 11.39 (-2.4) respectively.

Browning emerged from a wall of Australia’s best sprinters to make it back-to-back wins in Adelaide, roaring away from the field in the closing stages to mark his return to competition. Jake Doran (Paul Di Bella) and Jacob Despard (Rolf Ohman) had to be separated by the thousandths, with Doran prevailing in 10.37 (0.362) to Despard’s 10.37 (0.367).

“I was hoping for something a bit quicker, I just got out a bit sluggish but I felt like I had it on a string the whole time. I will just keep building throughout the season, I am looking forward to Melbourne (the Maurie Plant Meet) in a few weeks – it will be good to step up to 200m and go head-to-head with Fred [Kerley],” Browning said.

“Adelaide always seems to produce the most enthusiastic crowds, especially with the kids, so thanks to everyone who came out here.”

Winning in similar fashion, Anang capitalised on a strong start to hold off rising star Torrie Lewis (Gerrard Keating) in 11.46 and 2022 World Championships and Commonwealth Games representative Bree Masters (Ryan Hoffman) in 11.48 – rounding out an all-Queensland podium.

Masters returned to win the 200m in 23.56 (-0.8) , while Doran was dominant when winning in 21.11 (-1.8) and delivering some cheek to his competitors.  

Ellie Sanford (Terri Cater) stamped her presence on the Australian 800m scene with a scorching 2:01.18 to defeat Olympian Georgia Griffith (Nic Bideau) in 2:01.71, with the 25-year-old Victorian securing the breakthrough win.

With Griffith assuming the early lead throughout a turbulent opening lap, Sanford bided her time in hot pursuit and delivered a burst to surpass her previous career-best of 2:01.98 – leaving the World Athletics Championships standard of 1:59.80 within reach this season.

“I know I’m in good shape, but I wanted to make sure my training transitioned and I’m happy with that. I got home from Europe in August and had a bit of a break after that, and then went into training and gym work, which I think is translating nicely into my strength at the end of the race,” Sanford said.

“I’d really love to make my first Australian senior team but I’m honestly just stoked with a PB. That’s the best I can do.”

Olympic star Matthew Denny added over two metres to his own meet record with a first-round throw of 64.39m, cruising to victory ahead of Lachlan Page (53.67m) and World Under 20 finalist Darcy Miller (Steve Larsson) who threw 53.62m.

Experimenting with his weight and finding the balance with velocity, Denny laid the foundations for a big year on the international circuit:

“I have gone through a lot of changes over the last two months, so to know that I am in that kind of nick is really nice. I have my auto qualifier from last year, so for me it’s more about having a really good go in Melbourne and then putting focus on the back end of the year for Worlds and attacking that 70m line.”

The freshly laid track at the SA Athletics Stadium was graced in the 800m by Rio Olympic 1500m Champion Matthew Centrowitz (USA) to the delight of the crowd, but it was 23-year-old Lachlan Raper (Ben Liddy) who prevailed with a performance of 1:47.73.

“It felt as good as it could, taking down the Olympic champion from 2016, I guess I’ll take it. It was a bit of a rough race and I wanted to race it rather than time trial, so it was good to get the win. World Champs would be awesome [this year], but I am taking it one race at a time,” Raper said.

Centrowitz was full of class post-race despite being yet to find his legs in Australia, setting his sights on Melbourne for the Maurie Plant Meet on February 23:

“Australia has been on the come up in the middle-distance races, it’s been exciting to watch. These guys take on the Africans who have been dominating for years, so I am happy to be a part of it and hopefully I can put on a better show in Melbourne.”

Tokyo Olympian Ben Buckingham (Craig Mottram) torched his way to a swift season opener in the 3000m steeplechase of 8:25.80, grinding the field into the track over the final laps to take the win ahead of local Matthew Clarke (Adam Didyk) in 8:29.97. Both men eclipsed the previous meet record of 8:32.69 set by Peter Snell in 2003.

Kayla Cuba (Stacey Taurima) jumped her way to number three on the Australian all-time list in the triple jump, registering a career-best of 26cm to clear 13.82cm (-0.1) and defeat Desleigh Owusu (Andrew Murphy) with 12.89 (+0.5). Piecing together a series featuring marks of 13.76m, 13.78m and 13.82m, the 23-year-old built on the buffer that took her to the 2022 Australian and Oceania titles.

Following suit was 19-year-old Aiden Hinson (Chloe Stevens) who put a heartbreaking 2022 behind him after withdrawing from the World Under 20 Championships with injury, returning in 2023 to pile on the centimetres to his personal best with a 16.42m (+0.0) leap. Winning by over 41cm, Hinson stamped his authority with his first national-level showing of his first year in the Open ranks.

Great Britain’s Jade Lally narrowly edged out three-time Commonwealth Games representative Taryn Gollshewsky (Les Kuorikoski) in the discus, prevailing with a mark of 60.28m in the fifth round to Gollshewsky’s fourth round effort of 60.16m. 17-year-old World Under 20 finalist Marley Raikiwasa (Steve Larsson) launched a personal best of 53.51m to continue her steady progress.

Reigning Australian 3000m champion Jude Thomas (Collis Birmingham) had little trouble stepping up to 5000m when saluting with a clinical final lap, sailing past teammate Callum Davies (Collis Birmingham) in the home stretch to clinch the win in 13:48.33 to Davies’ 13:48.63. Paralympic star Jaryd Clifford (Philo Saunders) set a new Oceania 5000m T12 record of 14:08.08, pending ratification.

In his first Track Classic appearance outside of his hometown, Olympic bronze medallist Ash Moloney (Steve Rippon) made two appearances tonight. Moloney placed seventh in the B race, crossing the line in 10.81 (-2.1) and throwing 42.04m in the discus. 

Full results from the Adelaide Invitational can be found HERE. A full replay of the Adelaide Invitational can be found HERE. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse for Athletics Australia
Posted: 11/2/2022