Barriers to be Crushed | Day Two 2023 Australian Track and Field Championships
Published Fri 31 Mar 2023
The Australian Track and Field Championships momentum is only building on Day Two of its 100th edition. From Olympic and Paralympic credentials to the unwritten resumes of those targeting Brisbane 2032, the chase for national titles is set to reveal more than podium positions.
Seldom are athletes who have enjoyed a better start to 2023 than Declan Tingay (WA, Brent Vallance). The race walker bolted out of the gates when shattering the Australian 10,000m record that had stood for 47-years with a walk of 38:03.78 at Supernova #2, before becoming the second fastest racewalker in history over 5000m with a dazzling 18:12.52.
While times are one thing, Tingay’s best indication of form came at his most recent showing at the Asian Championships in Nomi, Japan. Tingay stretched away from his world-class competitors to win in 1:18:46 – a 2023 World Athletics Championships and 2024 Olympic Games qualifier. Also qualifying on that day were Kyle Swan (SA, Jared Tallent) and Rhydian Cowley (VIC, Brent Vallance), but Tingay’s current form on the race walking scene will make him hard to knock off the top spot of the dais.
The Australian men’s steeplechase scene looked like it belonged to Ben Buckingham (VIC, Craig Mottram) in the early part of the season, but reigning national champion Matthew Clarke (SA, Adam Didyk) struck back with a big win at Saturday’s Brisbane Track Classic to set up an enticing race for gold on Day Two in Brisbane.
With Buckingham requesting a swift pace to capitalise on his stellar form, it was Clarke who stalked his Tokyo Olympic teammate throughout the race before launching with over one lap to travel. Crossing the line in 8:26.91 to win by over five-seconds, Clarke opened up on the significance of his triumph:
“This is huge for me. I have had talks with my coach Adam [Didyk] about cancelling the season or just getting ready for Europe, so to be able to turn it around just a week out from Nationals gives me a lot of confidence,” Clarke said.
The Women’s 3000m Steeplechase hangs equally in the balance, with Olympian Amy Cashin (VIC, Sean Cleary) poised to take on the in-form Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD, Ben Norton) and Commonwealth Games representative Brielle Erbacher (QLD, Jody Erbacher).
Feain-Ryan will race with confidence after opening her season with a swift 9:38.44 to take the win at the Brisbane Track Classic ahead of Erbacher who finished third in 9:40.64, while the reigning champion Cashin’s form remains unknown due to the indoor season at her US base. The trio will be joined by Olympian Georgia Winkcup (NSW, Ben Liddy) who has progressed with each run this year.
Joining in on the middle-distance action is the star-studded cast in the Men’s 1500m Ambulant, led by defending national champion Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy, T38). Langdon will take on teenager Angus Hincksman (SA, Simon Moran, T38) and Paralympic medallist Deon Kenzie (TAS, Rob Ballard, T38) in what is set to be a showcase of Australia’s depth in the Para athletics ranks. As is always the case when Langdon races, his Australian record of 3:52.80 will be on high alert.
All the big names will be present when the Men’s 100m wheelchair competitors prepare to blast down the straight, with the likes of Luke Bailey (ACT, Andrew Dawes, T54), Sam Carter (ACT, Fred Periac, T54), Rheed McCracken (ACT, Andrew Dawes, T34), and Sam McIntosh (ACT, Fred Periac, T52) set to do battle for the national title. With the Australian Open Wheelchair Championships over 200m, 800, 1500m and 5000m already hosted at January’s Summer Down Under Series, this weekend in Brisbane is one for the sprinters racing over 100m and 400m.
A trio of Australia’s premier Para throwers are set to go head-to-head in the Men’s Javelin Throw Ambulant, with Tokyo Paralympic medallist Michal Burian (VIC, Nick Baltas, F44) taking on 2019 World Para Athletics champion Corey Anderson (QLD, Lukas Cannan, F38) and Australian record holder Jackson Hamilton (WA, Morgan Ward, F13). With Burian and Hamilton both capable of throwing over 60m, the event is set to be a spectacle with podium placings to be decided by the BASELINE system.
The Under 20 action on Day Two in Brisbane is headlined by the Men’s and Women’s 400m Finals. Stamping their authority as standouts at yesterday’s preliminary round, 16-year-old Charlotte McAuliffe (SA, Nick Hagicostas) and Timothy Sanki (NSW) will be hard to deny the junior Australian titles. McAuliffe’s main threats loom in the form of Jemma Pollard (NSW) and Paige Campbell (NSW), while Sanki will have to fend off the defending champion Thomas Reynolds (VIC, Matt Oakley) if he is to clinch the 2023 title.
From one lap to two laps, the Under 20 800m Finals will be hotly contested. It will take an upset to defeat Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram) who is the clear favourite for the women, while Hayden Todd (ACT, ), Jade Kitching (NSW, Tim Kitching) and Mitchell Langborne (VIC) are set to match motors for the men.
A host of Australian stars will kick-start their campaign with preliminary, semi-final and qualifying appearances. For a full list of events, athlete entries and live results on Day Two, CLICK HERE.
The livestream for Day Two of the 2023 Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships will run from 2:00pm to 8:00pm via 7plus, CLICK HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 31/3/2023
