Aussies Hit Top Gear As Championships Season Approaches

The imminent arrival of the World Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games has Australia’s top athletes finding form across the globe, with big names lead by Jessica Hull, Peter Bol, and Rohan Browning delivering dazzling displays on the eve of the championship season.

It was Australian record number seven for Jessica Hull (Pete Julian) as she waltzed to a 4:19.89 mile in Portland to obliterate Linden Hall’s former mark of 4:21.38 and add polish to an already immaculate preparation.

Casually splitting 4:01.93 through 1500m en route to the fastest mile time in history by an Australian woman, the reigning 5000m Australian champion flexed her versatility in an assertive performance that suggests her 3:58.81 national record could soon come under fire.

The result serves as a major confidence booster for the US-based Australian ahead of the World Athletics Championships which is set to begin on July 15 at Hayward Field, a track that the 25-year-old is well acquainted with having attended the University of Oregon.  

Fellow Australian record holder Peter Bol (Justin Rinaldi) carried on his campaign in similar fashion when dismantling a slick field in Heusden, clocking 1:44.26 for the win over 800m to now own four of the five fastest times in Australian history.

Fresh off his recent 1:44.00 national record, it is the consistency from the Tokyo sensation that leaves Australian athletics fans most excited, with the ability to back up performances through the rounds at major championships paramount to Bol’s success in the coming month.

Bol’s times in 2022 have been faster than those he ran in the lead up to Tokyo where he finished in fourth place, with no athlete on the international scene establishing true dominance or favouritism in the wide-open affari.

Tess Kirsopp-Cole (Craig Mottram) added to the Australian 800m success at Heusden when carving a significant margin off her personal best to run 2:01.40, finishing in third place as the 22-year-old relishes the opportunities of her first international campaign.

La Chaux-de-Fonds has long been a happy hunting ground for sprinters, and it proved no different overnight as Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy) charged into form with a scorching 10.08 (+1.6) to finish in fifth place. The time provides a significant swing in momentum for the 24-year-old who has struggled to reach maximum velocity in recent months,

Jacob Despard (Rolf Ohman) joined in on the action with a swift 10.19 (+2.4) to finish in sixth place of his encounter, a performance amplified by the circumstances having run fresh off the plane after arriving overseas in preparation for the Commonwealth Games.  

Rising star Sam Hurwood (Rajeev Balakrishnan) continued his steady development with a shiny new personal best of 13.63 (+1.7) to finish in fourth place of the 110m hurdles, while Henry Frayne (Gary Bourne) once again flirted with the eight-metre barrier with a performance of 7.98m (+0.3) for third place. Michael Romanin (John Nicolosi) finished fifth in the 200m when clocking 20.99 (+0.9).

Reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber (Mike Barber) put the finishing touches on her title defence campaign with a win in Edmonton, throwing a seasons best of 61.40m to bolster her confidence and trend in the right direction ahead of joining the Australian team in Seattle.

On home soil at the Gold Coast, 43-year-old Lisa Weightman (Dick Telford) filed away another outstanding performance in her illustrious career with a stunning 2:25:55 to finish in second place behind US visitor Lindsay Flanagan.

The run from Weightman was the second fastest of her career as she locked away the Oceania title, while the men’s title was won by hometown hero Louis McAfee (Jackson Elliot) who completed the 42.2km journey in 2:17:50 to finish in fourth place behind a trio of international competitors – headlined by Jo Fukuda (Japan) whose 2:10:55 delighted the crowd.  

An Australian T53/54 all comers record for Madison De Rozario (Louise Sauvage) proved light work as the Paralympic champion pushed her way to a time of 1:46.58 in the wheelchair marathon to surpass Jean Driscoll’s (USA) mark of 1:49:35, while seven-time Paralympian Christie Dawes (Andrew Dawes) finished second in 1:47:27. The men’s marathon was won by Jake Lappin (Fred Periac) who crossed the line in 1:37:32.

Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) coasted to victory in the half marathon when saluting in 63:14 ahead of the fast-finishing Ed Goddard (Gavin Burren) in 63:19, while Eloise Wellings (Nic Bideau) clocked 70:53 to outpace Jessica Stenson (Adam Didyk) who finished second in 71:35.  

Isaac Heyne (Adam Didyk) and Leanne Pompeani (Des Proctor) were crowned 10km champions int times of 29:03  and 32:21 respectively, while Samuel Rizzo (Richard Coleman) took out the wheelchair title in 23:59.

Morgan McDonald (Dathan Ritzenhein) made his long-awaited return to the track at the Sound Running meet in Los Angeles, with the resilient Olympian putting a series of injuries behind him to clock 3:39.09 for the win ahead of Jack Anstey (Stephen Haas) who made it an Australian quinella in 3:39.41.

3000m SC Ed Trippas (Washington) continued his strong form with an 8:32.95 performance to win the 3000m steeplechase, while Abbey Caldwell (Gavin Burren) made her return to racing when finishing fourth over 800m in 2:05.18.

The luck of the Irish delivered for Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin) in Dublin as he tore his way around 5000m in a career best time of 13:33.77 to take the win in front of an animated crowd, while Jye Perrott (Ben Liddy) clinched silver in the 800m with a run of 1:47.16 to add to his breakthrough season.

Also on the podium was Kristie Edwards (David Reid) who clocked 11.65 to finish second in the 100m (+0.6), while Ellie Sanford (Nic Bideau) proved good enough for third place in the 800m with a performance of 2:04.11.

A valiant Callum Davies (Collis Birmingham) waned in the home straight of the mile after racing aggressively to lead the field around the final bend, rewarded with a new personal best of 3:58.36 and fifth place. Fellow Australian Rorey Hunter (Dick Telford) was the seventh man across the line in 4:01.27.

James Hansen rounded out the action for the weekend with a tidy double which witnessed him scorch a new personal best of 13:34.12 over 5000m for second place in Norway, before heading to Belgium where he also finished second in the 1500m with a time of 3:38.23.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 4/7/2022