Mitchell launches her season

With 25 days remaining before the Australian Championships, which this year double as the Commonwealth Games trials, competition either side of the Nullarbor continued throughout the weekend. The wheelies, distance runners and field eventers shone in the hot conditions around the nation.

Competing at a throwers club meet in Ringwood, dual Olympian, Kathryn Mitchell launched her very first throw of the season out to a personal best 66.73m, just 10 centimetres short of the national record. It was a surprise as she was just easing into the season.

“It was thrown off a short run up which we do for easier control of my technique,” said Mitchell. “The series was also one of my best - 66, foul, 63, 61, 62 and 65.” 

It was a tremendous start for Mitchell after she took a break at the end of last season.

“I took a good rest after London as I was a little burned out, she explained. “I’ve been trying some different processes under the VIS Sports Psychologist Mark Spargo.”

Summer Down Under

In Canberra world champion, Madison de Rozario dominated the distance events, winning the 800m, two 1500s and the 5000m across the two days. Under the coaching of Louise Sauvage, her quickest 1500m, 3:27.59, was well inside the Commonwealth Games A standard of 3:29.00. Second in the 1500m was Angie Ballard who also dipped under the A standard with her time of 3:28.39. There was a close battle for the bronze between former two-time Commonwealth Games representative Eliza Ault-Connell (3:31.05) and Jemima Moore (3:31.21).

After an impressive heat time on Saturday night, five-time Paralympian, Kurt Fearnley, was even quicker in the T54 1500m final, timed at 2:59.06, as he placed second to American Daniel Romanchuk. Fearnley’s time was another CG A standard for him. In seventh, Jake Lappin’s 3:05.68 was a CG B standard for him.

Following up his quick 10.25 100m on Saturday, Rohan Browning clocked a massive 200m personal best time of 20.71, well under his previous best of 20.94. He was also just short of a Commonwealth Games B qualifier (20.64). He just held off Rio Olympian Alex Hartmann who also ran well clocking 20.78. Two-time IAAF World Junior 200m semi-finalist, Maddie Coates won the women’s 200m in 23.63.

Glasgow Commonwealth Games finalist, Michelle Jenneke showed she is in good form with the nationals approaching, clocking 13.26 in the 100m hurdles.

WA Championships

On Saturday evening, Kurtis Marschall continued his upward progression in the pole vault, competing in the Western Australian Championships.

He also took a different approach to his competition following a personal best of 5.78m the previous week.

“The plan was to open at 5.40m, a little bit higher than last week because I was fatiguing towards the end of the comp last week. Then I went to 5.50m and by then I’d won the competition.”

Unfortunately, his plan came unstuck and he had to take a risk.

“I was kind of hoping the other guys would jump 5.50m and then we’d attempt 5.60m and then have a go at 5.70m but the decision was then made to go from 5.50m which I cleared first attempt, to 5.70m which I cleared at the first attempt, then I went to 5.80m and cleared that first attempt as well for a two centiremetre personal best.”

It worked out well for Marschall who elevated himself to equal number five in Australian history.

There was a close battle among the next few Australians Stephen Clough, Angus Armstrong and Declan Carruthers, as all cleared 5.30m. The three athletes are now sitting on Commonwealth Games B qualifiers. Fifteen-year-old Sasha Zhoya broke the five-metre barrier for the first occasion, topping 5.10m. Earlier at the meet he clocked 10.61 in the 100m destroying his previous best of 10.91. Both performances bettered the Australian under-16 records, but under IAAF rules he is now considered an under-18 athlete. Also, over 5.10m was Olympic decathlete Cedric Dubler who equalled his personal best.

Victorian Olympian, Joel Baden, bounded over 2.20m in the high jump, his third Commonwealth Games B qualifier.  The Lyn Foreman-coached Thomas Throssell dipped under the challenging Youth Olympic Games 400m hurdlers standard of 52.28 seconds with a personal best time of 52.13.

Off the back of her personal best last weekend, 100m hurdler Brianna Beahan maintained her consistency with another quick clocking of 13.10 with a slightly illegal wind of 2.2m/s. Paralympian, Ella Pardy, won the women’s open para 100m sprint in 13.90.

On Sunday, the leading performance at the championships was produced by Cruz Hogan who unleashed his first Commonwealth Games B qualifier in the javelin. His throw of 74.67m enabled him to join four other B qualifiers. Sitting on A qualifiers are Tasmanian Hamish Peacock and Luke Cann who he defeated in the competition today.