PREVIEW | Canberra Track Classic

The second meet in Athletics Australia’s Coles Summer Super Series arrives in Canberra this Thursday, when the Canberra Track Classic takes over the Australian Institute of Sport. World record holders and national record holders will be on show as athletes aim to earn all-important ranking points and qualifiers at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze permit status meet. 

Men’s 800m:
At last year’s Canberra Track Classic, training partners in the Justin Rinaldi squad, Peter Bol and Joseph Deng, clocked times of 1:45.38 and 1:45.40 respectively. Bol is certainly revealing that same form with his recent 1000m in Melbourne. Also on the start line will be Commonwealth Games medallists Luke Matthews (V, Elizabeth Matthews) and dual Olympian Jeff Riseley (V, Justin Rinaldi) – that makes four of the fastest eight in history. Add Melbourne-based Kiwi Brad Mathas (PB 1:46.07) and Jordy Williamsz (V, Nic Bideau) who ran a 3:39.57 1500m at Zatopek:10 and there is tremendous depth. 

But could the rising teen star Jack Lunn (Steve Fabris) take some big scalps? His race form has been impressive with second in the Coles Super Summer Series and third in the recent Box Hill 1000m.

Men’s Ambulant 100m: 
The ‘White Tiger’ Chad Perris (A, T13, Iryna Dvoskina) will be hoping the winds are kind to him in Canberra. Two weeks ago at the Coles Summer Super Series event, Perris smashed his own Oceania record of 10.83, clocking 10.71 seconds, only to be disappointed by an over the limit wind reading of 2.2m/s.

Reigning 100m world champion James Turner (A, T36, Iryna Dvoskina), who two weeks just missed his own world record of 11.72, running 11.78, could make this a record feat.

Men’s 100m:
It has been 16 years since Australia sent a male 100m sprinter to the Olympics and after missing the Coles Super Summer Series two weeks ago due to illness, Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy) returns to the national circuit and continues his chase for the Olympic qualifier of 10.05. He only needs to trim his 100m PB of 10.08 and this summer has been in his best shape ever with a wind assisted 9.96 and an Australian 100 yards best of 9.41 last weekend at the NSW Championships where he clocked 10.20 in the 100m. Statistically he only needs about a 1.0m/s tail wind on a warm Canberra track to quality for Tokyo, but what can he clock with a 2m/s wind?
Jack Hale (Adam Larcom) clocked 10.21 two weeks ago in Canberra and looks to be on target to reach his 10.12 PB this summer. Jake Penny (Matt Wade & Mandy Cole) is stringing together a consistent run of times and looks set to go sub-10.30.

Women’s 100m:
Before this season, Hana Basic’s (V, John Nicolosi) best was 11.64, dating back to 2014 when she represented Australia at the World Junior Championships but a new approach to her career has seen her perform three consecutive PBs: 11.63, 11.45, 11.37 & 11.25w (2.1m/s), including the fastest time by an Australian for two years.

The athlete Basic surpassed was Naa Anang (Q, Gary Bourne) who is only easing back into solid training and is making her season debut here. Better over 200m, Riley Day (Q, Paul Pearce) will be a factor for sure. Three athletes with PBs in recent weeks will also be in the mix. WA 17-year-old Taylah Cruttenden (W, Braiden Clarke) recently ran 11.49 to move into the top-10 juniors in Australian history. Another teenager Monique Quirk (N, Greg Smith) ran PBs of 11.50/23.20 at the NSW championships. Ebony Lane (V, Matt Carter) has been impressive all year, starting with the Victorian 100 yards title and then a 11.48 100m at the ACT Championships.

Women’s Ambulant 100m:
This race features two athletes with multiple 100m Tokyo Paralympic qualifiers, Isis Holt (Q, T35, Paul Pearce) and Rhiannon Clarke (W, T38, Danny Kevan). After a break from athletics post the Commonwealth Games, the now Brisbane-based Holt has been in tremendous form this summer. The two-time world 100m T35 champion and Paralympic silver medallist holds the world record at 13.43 and has already this summer clocked 13.65. WA’s Clarke has Tokyo qualifiers set in 2019 and will be looking to match that sub-13 seconds form in Canberra.

Women’s 1500m:
Linden Hall is in some rare form. Could she win the battle with Jess Hull (now based in Oregon) to the first sub-4 minute 1500m? Hall’s Zatopek:10 1500m of 4:04.33 was the third fastest time by an Aussie at home. Over 800m she has just been outside her best and of course took the national 1000m record at Box Hill. But is she in PB shape (4:00.86)? World Youth 800m champion, Keely Small (A, Philo Saunders) has been just as impressive over the metric mile this summer with her 11 seconds Zatopek PB run of 4:07.89.

Men’s Javelin:
Current World U20 champion, Townsville’s Nash Lowis (Q, Leslye Muller) opens his season in Canberra, taking on two 80 metre men, Cameron McEntyre (N, Angus McEntyre) and Liam O’Brien (Q, Ben Thomson). O’Brien and McEntyre both threw 76 metres on the weekend, but this summer have been over 81 metres. After Townsville’s Nash Lowis was a surprise winner of the 2018 World Junior crown, with a throw of 75.31m, he joined the 80 metre club in 2019 at the Oceania Championships on his home track. F38 javelin world champion from 2017, Jayden Sawyer (S, Mike Barber) will be looking to post a Tokyo Paralympic Games B standard, being just centimetres short in his last two competitions at the AIS track.

Women’s Javelin:
World champion Kelsey-Lee Barber (A, Mike Barber),  competing on her home track, will lead a strong field including a host of juniors she has undoubtedly inspired. Two-time NCAA champion, Mackenzie Little (N, Angus McEntyre) has been a model of consistency, finishing four competitions this summer a metre either side of 60 metres. Lianna Davidson (N, Angus McEntyre) launched the 800gm implement out to 54.64m to elevate her to number six in Australian junior history. Victoria Mackenzie Mielczarek (V, Steve Cain)  nailed three qualifiers in five days last week, reaching a best of 51.91m. South Australian Salumi Robberts (S, Andrew Fraser) two weeks ago raised her PB to 51.11m to also achieve a World U20 Championships qualifier.

Women’s 100m hurdles:
Five of the 10 fastest hurdles in Australian history race here with three setting PBs in recent weeks. Celeste Mucci (V, Darren Clark), Hannah Jones (Q, Sally Pearson) and Abbie Taddeo (N, Penny Gilles) are in red hot form, while Brianna Beahan (W, Ryan Purcell), has been in PB form on the flat and Michelle Jenneke (Q, Gary Bourne) has been progressing well on the return from injury.

Other events/athletes to watch:
·       A month ago at the ACT State Championships Vanessa Low (A, T61, Iryna Dvoskina) raised her own World Para Athletics long jump record of 5.07m with a leap of 5.09m. Vanessa should be able to raise the record further as she fouled jumps of 5.16m and 5.25m.
·       National 800m record holder Catriona Bisset (V, Peter Fortune) features in the 800m against Keely Small (A, Philo Saunders).
·       Equal national record holder Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart) starts in the high jump,
·       Nicola McDermott (N, Matt Horsnell) returns to Canberra where two weeks ago she narrowly missed clearing two metres.
·       Victorian long jumpers Henry Smith and Chris Mitrevski are on target to give coach John Boas some 8 metres jumps to celebrate his recent 80th birthday.
·       We are set for a terrific rematch in the 110m hurdles where at the NSW Champs Nick Andrews (Tim O’Neil) defeated Nick Hough (Anthony Benn) 13.45 to 13.46 wind assisted.
·        Bendere Oboya (N, John Quinn) has been in blistering shape clocked 51.61 at the end of three rounds at the NSW Championships last weekend. Her main opposition will be runner up at last year’s Sydney Track Classic, Olympian Anneliese Rubie (N, Peter Fortune), who will be better for the three races.

By David Tarbotton for Athletics Australia
Posted: 8/3/2021