Trailblaze to Paris and Peru continues | Australian Athletics Championships Day Two

Excitement is set to escalate on Day Two of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide, as Australia’s elite para athletes make their mark en route to Paris and the nation’s top juniors duel for glory, eyeing Peru as their next battle ground.

The day will start with one of the most hotly-contested para events on the program, with three global medalists battling for gold in the Men’s 1500m Ambulant. Reigning champion Reece Langdon (VIC, Tim O’Shaughnessy, T38) takes on former world champion Deon Kenzie (TAS, Philo Saunders & Mike Gunson, T38) and hometown hero Angus Hincksman (SA, Simon Moran, T38) in a race worthy of a Paralympic final as the trio set out to punch their ticket to Paris. 

Australian record holder Langdon flies to Adelaide with the fastest time of the season with 3:55.58 holding him in good stead to defend his title, but Hincksman will be ready to claim the crown on home soil, while Kenzie gears up for the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe next month. Full of confidence after her international debut last year, 20-year-old Annabelle Colman (VIC, Anthony de Castella & Liz Gosper, T20) laces up in an attempt to lower her 4:49.30 personal best in the Women's 1500m Ambulant.

Western Australia’s Jackson Hamilton (WA, Morgan Ward, F11) headlines the Men’s Javelin Ambulant field, ready to stamp his authority on the meet after toppling the national record twice this year. Piling on seven-metres to his career best over the last year to throw 68.23m in February, the championships present as another opportunity to lay his work down ahead off a dream maiden Paralympic Games this August.

Australia’s wheelchair sprinters will get ready to blast down the straight, with the 100m drawing the likes of Paralympic medallist Rheed McCracken (NSW, Louise Sauvage, T34) and T54 Tokyo Paralympians Luke Bailey (NSW, Andrew Dawes, T54), Sam McIntosh (VIC, Fred Periac, T52) and Sam Carter (VIC, Fred Periac, T54). With the wheelchair distance titles won at the Summer Down Under Series in Canberra in January, the sprint events are the main opportunity for the racers to shine.

Adding to the finals action on Day Two, World University Games champion Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD, Ben Norton) looms as the favourite for the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase final, with the best time of the season on paper. A win at the Adelaide Invitational in 9:42.71 sets the Queenslander up well as she takes on Olympians Amy Cashin (VIC, Sean Clearly) and Georgia Winkcup (NSW, Ben Liddy), while World Championships representative Brielle Erbacher (QLD, Jody Erbacher) adds to the credentialed field.

The afternoon will also see World Championships medallist Kurtis Marschall (WA, Paul Burgess and Jim Fitzpatrick) compete in his home state for the first time in six years in the qualification round of the Men’s Pole Vault, while long jumpers Brooke Buschkuel (VIC, Russel Stratton) and Samantha Dale (NSW, Andrew Murphy) begin their battle for the title of Australia’s premier long jumper.

Versatile teenager Izobelle Louison-Roe (NSW, Karen Louison-Roe) will do battle with World Under 20 bronze medallist Tiana Boras (VIC, Alwin Jones) in the Women’s Under 20 Triple Jump, with the pair fighting for spots for the World Under 20 Championships in Peru this August. 16-year-old Louison-Roe reigns supreme this season with a 13.13m leap to her name, holding the top seed over the global medallist by seven-centimetres to hit the runway as the favourite.

Just as the Women’s 800m will be one of the hottest races of the meet, the Under 20 competition will be just as fierce, despite teen sensation Claudia Hollingsworth choosing to focus on the Open race. The gold looks to belong to New South Wales, with Tayissa Buchanan (NSW, Danielle Szakacs) stepping onto the track with the fastest seed time by over one second (2:06.02), while her teammates Fleur Cooper (NSW, Ben Liddy) and Ivy Boothroyd (NSW, Jacinta Doyle) pose as her main threats.

The heptathlon continues on Day Two, with Camryn Newton-Smith (QLD, Ralph Newton) leading after four events, which included three personal bests. Having reached previously hit the rare 6000 point mark to become number six on the Australian all-time list, the 23-year-old will be ambitious in her attempts again in her quest to win her maiden Australian title. Newton-Smith sits on 3745 points ahead of Queenslander Tori West (Eric Brown) on 3578 points.

While the Australia’s most versatile female will be crowned today in the heptathlon, competition heats up for the men with the first five events of the decathlon swinging into action. Three of Australia’s all-time best decathletes at over 8000-points lead the field, with Olympic bronze medallist Ash Moloney (QLD, Steve Rippon), two-time Olympian Cedric Dubler (QLD, Chris Gaviglio) and World University Games medallist Alec Diamond (NSW, Zsuzsanna Olgyay-Zsabo) vying for the title.

For Dubler and Moloney, the competition intensifies as the pair chase the Olympic qualification standard of 8460. Dubler has come closest this season, achieving his third-best performance over ten events with a score of 8334 at the Queensland Combined Event Championships, while Moloney has been unlucky not to finish the two-day event due to injury.

Sophia Gregorevic (VIC, Steve Gaffney) will be a favourite to win the Women’s Under 20 400m final after qualifying fastest in the heats in 54.50, but the Victorian will have the in-form Amelia Rowe (WA, Brian Pozzi) hot on her heels after achieving a personal best in the heats, crossing the line in 54.52. 2023 Stawell Gift winner Bella Pasquali (VIC, Jason Boulton) will also put her hat in the ring for the title, while a hotly contested Men’s U20 race will see Queenslander Terell Thorne (QLD, Sharon Dale) put his best foot forward against the likes of fellow statesman sprint sensation Seth Kennedy (QLD, Brett Robinson) and Caleb Kilpatrick (VIC).

Australia’s fastest athletes will be a drawcard for spectators as and Rohan Browning (NSW, Andrew Murphy) toes the line for the first round of the blue ribband events. Sprint sensations Bree Masters (QLD, Ryan Hoffman) and Ella Connolly (NSW, Andrew Murphy) will lead the charge in Women’s 100m, with the title wide open for the taking.

Day Two coverage starts at 12.55pm AEST on Seven’s digital platform 7plus. Stream the Championships live and on demand at Athletics Live Stream - Watch Free & Online in Australia | 7plus

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 11/4/2024