Mud, Sweat and Tears | O’Donnell and Hansen Take Tough Titles

Victorian duo Seth O’Donnell and Georgia Hansen have charged to commanding victories at the 82^nd instalment of the Australian Cross Country Championships in Oakbank, South Australia to etch their name into Australian athletics history.

On a day that celebrated racing in its purest form, over 1250 competitors ranging from Olympians to 10-year-olds brought their best to a brutal course offering no reprieve, resulting in an entertaining prelude to the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst.

With his mullet flowing in the cold breeze, Seth O’Donnell (Sean Williams) took all of 32-minutes and 19-seconds to emerge as an icon on the Australian athletics scene - the win revealing both his talent and character to stun the crowd as a surprise victor.

“I am over the moon! I have put the effort for a long period of time but I was just happy to get the result that I was looking for. I knew that the field was really strong but I also had really good belief in myself that I could beat anyone on my day,” O’Donnell said.

Lining up in a quality race alongside two-time winners Liam Adams (Ken Hall) and Andrew Buchanan (Scott Westcott), O’Donnell broke away from his rivals with a surge over the final 3km, reaping the rewards of his bold tactics with his first Australian title.

“It’s hard to predict what can happen, so I try not to think about different race scenarios too much. I just thought that whatever happened, I would have the belief and the fitness to handle it. That belief is innate, but at the same time I have a really good support network behind me.”

Hometown hero Riley Cocks earned a popular silver when trailing O’Donnell by 14-seconds, while Ed Goddard (Gavin Burren) took bronze in 32:35.

The Victorians caused an upset over South Australia in the race for the team title with the top four crossing for a total of 20-points, while the local quartet amassed 23-points for silver.

In the war of attrition that was the Open Women’s encounter, Georgia Hansen (Stephen Ellinghaus) ground her competitors to a halt in the mud with her relentless pressure at the front – proving too strong in the run for home as she torched the field en route to gold.  

“I’m tired, very tired! Leanne [Pompeani] really pushed me, especially on that third lap. I was having visions. I wasn’t sure if we had done four laps or three laps so I just had to relax,” Hansen said.

“My calves were really sore at the end so 10k’s, I’m definitely not used to it!”

Hansen’s versatility throughout 2022 serves as a timely reminder of the 23-year-old’s class across multiple disciplines, today defeating Leanne Pompeani (Des Proctor) and South Australian local Caitlin Adams (Adam Didyk) to prove just that as she begins to flourish as a senior athlete.

Both athletes took home $3200 prize money and bolstered the excitement for the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships to be held in Bathurst, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of cross country and adding to the intrigue of the selection trails on January 15, where a host of Australia’s top distance hopefuls will aim to secure an Australian tracksuit on home soil.

New South Wales took gold in the team’s event in a dazzling display of depth when scoring 17-points from their top four to defeat Victoria with 25-points.

Emerging star Reece Langdon (Philo Saunders) saluted as the strong favourite to take out the Open Men’s Para 3km, but the 26-year-old was forced to work hard for the Australian title when battling in the challenging conditions.

“Pretty much straight away my legs felt fatigued, I struggle in the cold with my condition. I knew I was going to be in for it today, but I also knew the training was there and I got it done,” Langdon said.

“It was a very tough course! The mud did not make it easy, luckily it was 3km and not 10km though.”

Winning in a time of 10:13, Langdon is quickly developing an impressive resume as he targets his international debut in 2023.

“Since I have been classified, I have just wanted to enter every Para race I can and keep improving as an athlete. We have the World Championships next year in Paris and I’m working very hard in training to bring the gold home there,” Langdon said.

The Open Women’s Para title over 3km was won by Victoria’s Georgia Powning (Liz Gosper/Anthony de Castella) in a time of 12:18, while Under 20 champion Annabelle Colman (Liz Gosper/Anthony de Castella) marked her presence in the race when taking line honours in 11:41.

The celebration said it all for Logan Janetzki (Tim O’Shaughnessy) in the Men’s Under 20 contest as the emotions poured out for the tenacious junior, winning his maiden national title with an emphatic 26:17 performance over 8km. Janetzki assumed a position of authority from the gun and refused to be denied the lead, earning national gold to consolidate his breakthrough season.

On the Women’s side, World Under 20 representative Laura Roderick (Jordan Williams) showed no signs of fatigue after her campaign in Cali earlier this month, gliding over the mud and hills to defeat her junior counterparts in the six-kilometre race with a time of 23:07.

Full results from the 2022 Australian Cross Country Championships can be found HERE.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 27/8/2022