Australian team in strong position to attack Tokyo 2020 after the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

Australia has come away from the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 with one gold medal, two top eight performances, nine personal bests and six Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying performances.         

The results from our 59 strong team, with an average age of just under 25 years old has Australia in great shape for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Christian Malcolm head of Coaching and Performance at Athletics Australia said:

“The most important thing I have seen at these Championship is how people can react and stand up at this level.”

“The athletes and the staff have all performed really well here in Doha and I’m looking forward now to Tokyo and beyond!”

Kelsey Lee-Barber winning gold in the women’s javelin was the standout performance in the Qatari capital Doha.

Kelsey-Lee Barber threw the javelin 66.56m to take the gold medal on Day Five.

On Day 4 of the Championships, Matt Denny finished sixth in the men’s discus with a new personal best of 65.43m.

On Day 9, Brandon managed an equal season’s best jump at 2.30m, to secure him sixth place.

Personal bests: Bendere Oboya 400m 51.21, Matthew Denny Discus 65.43m, Sinead Diver 10,000m 31:25.49, Ellie Pashley 10,000m 31:18.89, Paige Campbell 3000m Steeple 9:44.80, Cedric Dubler Decathlon Discus 44.30 & Javelin 59.40, Jessica Hull 1500m 4:01.80, Sarah Carli 400m Hurdles 55.43

A special mention must go to the athletes who competed out in the elements on Doha’s Corniche. Even very late into the night when the events started, temperatures soared past 30 degrees and often the humidity was very high.

Rochelle Rodgers ran through the horrifying conditions on Day 1 in the Women’s marathon, Jemima Montag and Katie Hayward battled it out in the women’s 20km race walk on Day 3, Dane Bird-Smith and Rhydian Cowley competed on Day 8 in the men’s 20km race walk and Julian Spence ran in the men’s marathon on Day 9. 

The IAAF World Athletics Championships in 2021 is in Eugene, Oregon.

Statistics / Superlatives from David Tarbotton:

Medal Table: 17th place 1 gold, 1 medal

-Kelsey-Lee Barber Javelin Throw GOLD 66.56m

Placing Table (top-8): 29th place, 14 points, 3 athletes

-Kelsey-Lee Barber Javelin Throw GOLD 66.56m

-Brandon Starc High Jump 6th 2.30m

-Matthew Denny Discus 6th 65.43m

As standard, technical/field events supplied the top-8 places.

Top-16 places (athletes & teams): 21

28 athletes involved in the 21 top-16 places (including relay teams).

Best since 1999 (20 years).

Gold Kelsey-Lee Barber Javelin, 6th Brandon Starc High Jump, 6th Matthew Denny Discus, 10th Jemima Montag 20km Walk, 10th Brooke Statton Long Jump, 10th Women 4x400m relay, 10th Genevieve Gregson 3000m Steeplechase 9:23.84, 11th Cedric Dubler Decathlon 8101, 12th Stewart McSweyn 5000m, 13th Jessica Hull 1500m, 13th Henry Frayne Long Jump, 13th Bendere Oboya 400m, 13th Ellie Pashley 10,000m 31:18.89, 14th Men 4x400m relay, 14th Sinead Diver 10,000m 31:25.49, 15th Nicola McDermott High Jump, 15th Dane Bird-Smith 20km Walk, 15th Matthew Ramsden 1500m, 15th Linden Hall 1500m, 15th Darcy Roper Long Jump, 16th Sarah Carli 400m Hurdles

Breakdown of the top-10: 8 women (4 in relay), 2 men

Results against entry ranking

33 of the 53 (or 62%) performances/athletes were above their entry ranking

Following the same standout performance from Rio, the distance women were very competitive.

In the events 1500m to marathon including steeple - 9 of the 10 performed above their entry rankings.

Olympic Qualifiers: 6 performances, by 5 athletes. 2 were new qualifiers.

-Bendere Oboya 400m 51.21 (new)

-Ellie Pashley 10,000m 31:18.89 (new)

-Jessica Hull 1500m 4:01.80

-Genevieve Gregson 3000m Steeplechase 9:23.84 & 9:27.74

-Kelsey-Lee Barber Javelin Throw 66.56m

Personal bests: 9 performances from 8 athletes

-Bendere Oboya 400m 51.21

-Matthew Denny Discus 65.43m

-Sinead Diver 10,000m 31:25.49

-Ellie Pashley 10,000m 31:18.89

-Paige Campbell 3000m Steeple 9:44.80

-Cedric Dubler Decathlon Discus 44.30 & Javelin 59.40

-Jessica Hull 1500m 4:01.80

-Sarah Carli 400m Hurdles 55.43

Making most World Champs appearances: 5 – Ryan Gregson & Lauren Boden

Final Team size: 59

Average age: 24.8

Top-16 on debut:

7 of the 19 individual top-16s were on debut.

Jemima Montag, Jessica Hull, Bendere Oboya, Ellie Pashley, Matthew Ramsden, Darcy Roper & Sarah Carli.