PREVIEW | Day 4 – Australian Track and Field Championships

The Australian Track and Field Championships have seen some top performances from Australia’s junior athletes, but competition will turn up a notch today with the Open age athletes on the hunt for national titles and Tokyo qualifiers. 

Decathlon – Day 1:

The Men’s Decathlon is set to be a heavyweight battle between Cedric Dubler and Ashley Moloney, with the two Queenslanders set to go to war over the grueling 10 legs. Their rivalry has extended beyond master and apprentice, with Moloney asserting himself on the Open scene with a breakthrough Australian and Oceania record of 8492. Dubler is no stranger to fierce competition and will be up for the challenge, with the two-day competition set to write another enticing chapter in Australian Decathlon history. 

Moloney has had the wood over Dubler this season is the favourite to take out the event, with the 21-year-old talent improving at a rate of knots. His eye-catching run of 45.82 over 400m late on day one of his record-breaking decathlon was just one of the many world class performances registered by Moloney this season, to go with a 10.36 in the 100m, a 2.11m in the high jump and 14.07 in the 110m hurdles. Dubler has been only steps and centimeters behind Moloney in every event and is more than capable of toppling his crown if he can string together his best form over two days.

Women’s 400m:

The Women’s 400m features the iconic Bendere Oboya (NSW), who is quickly becoming one of Australia’s favourite athletes. The smooth-moving Oboya possesses a 51.21 personal best over the one-lap journey and has not looked like losing on the domestic scene for some time, winning 25 of her last 26 starts in Australia over 400m. Queensland’s young gun Ellie Beer will be looking to disrupt that streak, with the 18-year-old holding a personal best of 52.53 to place her in rare company in the junior ranks worldwide. Barring disaster, both athletes will progress to tomorrow’s semi finals. 

Men’s and Women’s 800m:

Peter Bol (VIC) and Catriona Bisset (VIC) will stroll around two laps of the track in the heats of their respective Open 800m events, looking to take care of business and head to the final unscathed. The two are touted as near certainties to take home national titles after being in scorching form this season, and have much bigger plans after that as they eye off Olympic berths in Tokyo. 

Men's Long Jump - Ambulant:

In the men's event, veteran long jump Nic Hum (VIC, T20) will be in contention for the title after recently jumping 6.87m at the ACT Track and Field Championships in February. Let's not discount Ari Gesini (T38) from the running, with him eyeing off his Paralympic debut in the T38 long jump.

Men’s Under 20 800m:

They will all be chasing Charlie Jeffreson (NSW) in the Men’s Under 20 800m Final. The 16-year old looked exceptional in his heat and is undoubtedly the man to beat, with the dogged Joshua Atkinson (NSW) looking to better his silver medal in the Under 20 400m whilst attempting to chase down a World Under 20 qualifier over 800m. Don’t expect Jeffreson to leave things to chance, with the young talent having experienced high levels of racing domestically and gaining invaluable racing experience. 

Women’s Under 20 800m:

The Women’s Under 20 800m looms as one of the races of the day, with Victoria’s Gigi MacCagnini coming up against the might of New South Wales. There are six NSW athletes in the field, headlined by Under 20 1500m Australian champion Jaylah Hancock-Cameron, Nicola Hogg and Matilda Ryan. MacCagnini holds the fastest time this season with a 2:04.81 from this year’s Canberra Track Classic. Expect a blanket finish, with tactics all-important in the tight affair.
 
Women’s Under 20 Javelin:

The Women’s Under 20 Javelin features a load of talent, with Lianna Davidson (NSW) leading the rankings with a throw of 54.64m. Victoria’s Mackenzie Mielczarek has five World Under 20 qualifiers and a best of 52.16m and will be looking to close the gap on Davidson by finding a meter or two up her sleeve. Salumi Roberts (SA) is the second ranked Under 20 with a throw of 52.26m. 

Other events to watch:

Alana Peart (VIC) and Olivia Sandery (SA) both have both met the World Under 20 qualification standard in the 10,000m race walk and will compete tonight, with Peart winning at the recent Australian Race Walking Championships in Melbourne in the Women’s Under 20 10km race.
 
Aiden Hinson (VIC) is set to take flight in the Men’s Under 20 Triple Jump, having jumped 15.86m and four World Under 20 qualifiers this season. If Hinson can progress to the Open ranks in the years to come, he will give Australian triple jump stocks a much-needed boost. 

Mileage man Jude Thomas will roll around 12.5 laps of the track at Sydney Olympic Park in pursuit of his second gold of the Championships, having already secured the Under 20 1500m title. Thomas will be able to dictate terms in the race and with a 13:53 personal best in the event, the Queenslander should be able to win in whatever fashion he likes. 

The preliminaries of the Women’s Open Pole Vault will also take place, with new Australian record holder Nina Kennedy (WA) lining up. Talented juniors Cassidy Bradshaw (VIC), Olivia Gross (VIC) and Elyssa Kenshole (VIC) have all vaulted clear of the World Under 20 standard and lead a strong crop of rising pole vaulters in Australia. 
 

By Lachlan Moorhouse
Posted: 15/4/2021