PREVIEW | Day 6 of the 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships
Published Thu 31 Mar 2022
Day 5 of the Australian Track & Field Championships saw strong results, with two athletes cementing their place on the team heading to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, but today promises more as athletes seek automatic selection to the Australian team travelling to the World Athletics Championships in Oregon this July.
Today also belongs to our Australia’s Para-athletes who are in for some steely competition. This will be the final opportunity for our middle distance wheelchair racers to push themselves up the world ranking list ahead of the Commonwealth Games, while the young guns of Para distance will have a battle of ahead of them as youth and experience compete for bragging rights.
Thursday’s Key Events:
Men’s Open 1500m (Ambulant) Final
Perhaps one of the most competitive events on the program today will be the Men’s Open 1500m (ambulant) event today which will have an all-star line up including Tokyo bronze medallist and former world champion Deon Kenzie and Tokyo sixth place getter Daniel Bounty.
While the two distance heavyweights will certainly contend for the title, new on the scene is Reece Langdon who has shaken up the T38 category after being internationally classified earlier this year.
Prior to being officially classified, Langdon clocked 3:52.56 – a time which would have seen him secure the Australian record and the second fastest time clocked world-wide, making him the favourite, but we can’t go past Kenzie’s steep trajectory in the event. Last year Kenzie became the first Australian athlete with cerebral palsy to run sub four minutes in the event, and has steadily lowered his time, with his current best at 3:55.00.
Also in the mix for the title is Angus Hinksmann who at just 16-years-old is clocking 4:11 showing a bright future ahead for the young Para-athlete.
Men’s Javelin Throw (Ambulant) Final
Paralympic silver medallist and world record holder Michal Burian is ready to unleash his javelin for his second consecutive Australian title, and with such a big gap between the Czech native, and the second-seeded athlete Matt Thompson (46.63m), there will be no contest.
While Burian’s best is 66.29m – a distance he threw in the final round of the Paralympics last year to etch himself in the history books - his most recent throw of 62.36m at the Melbourne Track Classic shows that a new record may not be on the cards today, but watching him step up to the challenge will be a treat in itself for spectators.
Men's and Women's 1500m Open Wheelchair Finals
Most of Australia’s Para-athletes won’t have a major championship to work towards in 2022, but our middle distance wheelchair athletes have their eyes firmly locked onto the Commonwealth Games, which has the 1500m T53/54 events for both men and women.
For each of them to confirm their spot on the team, athletes need to rank within the Commonwealth’s top 8 at the end of the qualifying period (April 18) highlighting the importance of today’s race.
A contingent of our best travelled to Dubai last week to better their chances of lowering their times on what is one of the world’s fastest tracks, and at the end of the meet, Jake Lappin locked himself into 7th position, with Sam Carter in 8th, Sam Rizzo and Luke Bailey in 9th and 11th respectively.
While Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre isn’t conducive to fast results for wheelchair racers, competition will certainly heat up as they aim to better their times – with times under three minutes needed to push themselves up on the world ranking list.
Angie Ballard and Madison de Rozario will also feature in the women’s 1500m, with both securely within the top four ranked athletes within the Commonwealth, boding well for next month’s selection.
Open Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final:
The South Australian duo of Matthew Clarke and Max Stevens headline the Open Men’s 3000m Steeplechase bout, where the teammates will become rivals as they eye national glory.
It was Stevens who held the wood over Clarke in Melbourne with his dazzling 8:30.90 in scorching hot conditions, whilst Clarke felt the full affect of the hot pace and weather – dropping off the speed to finish in 8:43.96.
It’s a record that the Olympian will be looking to set straight come tonight’s national final, where Clarke will be looking to show his true current from and alongside Stevens bring the title back to South Australia – a feat that is made more achievable in the absence of Ben Buckingham (VIC).
Open Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final:
Amy Cashin (VIC), Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD), Brielle Erbacher (QLD) and Georgia Winkcup (NSW) make up a quality quartet to lead the steeplechase women in what is set to be an intriguing battle.
The US-based Cashin enters the race with her 9:28.60 personal best being significantly faster than that of her peers, suggesting that the 27-year-old may be too slick for her competitors if she is in good shape.
Feain-Ryan broke through on the national stage in 2021 with a gutsy silver and will be looking to go one better tonight, whilst Erbacher (QLD) put in a stunning 9:39.79 at the Melbourne Track Classic to force her name into the conversation as the form woman in the field.
Winkcup registered a much improved 9:41.52 to finish in second place in Melbourne, with her Olympic experience not to be discounted in what is likely to be a challenging race in tough conditions.
Seated Shot Put Finals:
Maria Strong lived up to their name at the Tokyo Games when they won bronze in the seated shot put F33 with a throw of 6.63m and today, the Oceania record holder will challenge for another medal as she comes up fellow Paralympian, wheelchair racer-turned-thrower Rosemary Little (F32) and up-and-coping teenager Sarah Clifton-Bligh (F32)
The men’s event will also see Rio Paralympian Jessee Wyatt strap in to see if he can better his Oceania record of 9.84m set last year at the 2021 Sydney Track Classic.
Semi Finals:
Men’s 400m Semi-Finals:
Olympian Alex Beck (QLD) looked the pick of the quarter milers when advancing to today’s semi-finals in style with his run of 47.07, taking out his heat comfortably. Beck holds the class edge over many of his competitors but Ian Halpin (NSW) has proven his form this season and will be towards the pointy end of the semi-finals to set up a battle with Beck in the final.
Emerging Queenslander Daniel Blest was the third fastest Australian to qualify for the second round with his run of 47.92, whilst Zong Yan Tan (Singapore) will be out to cause an upset on Australian soil after winning his heat in 47.76.
Qualifiers and Heats continues
100m First Round:
Ella Connolly (QLD) has been a model of consistency this season when winning 18 of her 19 races to date, including a perfect 10/10 over 100m where the 21-year-old has a personal best of 11.25. The Queenslander has three legal times in the 11.2-range, and with Zoe Hobbs (NZ) in scorching form as shown by her 11.15 run in February – the Australian will relish the welcomed competition.
Defending champion Hana Basic (VIC) is warming into her 2022 campaign and will be eager to take another step forward on the national stage, whilst 2021 silver medallist Bree Masters (QLD) will look to build on her solid season to date.
The two fastest seed times for the Open Men’s 100m are international guests in the form of Tiaan Whelpon (10.18, NZ) and Edward Osei-Nketia (10.19, NZ). In the absence of Rohan Browning (NSW), the men’s 100m scene in Australia has been wide open, with Jack Hale (TAS) potentially leading the charge in what is a tightly contested group.
Jacob Despard (TAS) registered a stunning 10.11 (+3.4) to throw his hat in the ring as the in-form man, but 18-year-old Jai Gordon (QLD) clocked 10.28 on a slippery track to take home the Under 20 title last weekend – could he cause a boil over in the Open ranks?
Men’s Open Discus Qualifiers:
Matt Denny will lead the charge for Australia’s discus athletes as he looks to book the double ticket to the World Athletics Championships and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The fourth place getter at the Tokyo Games has a qualifier under his belt already, having thrown an enormous 67.02m – the furthest throw by an Australian at the Olympic Games. Denny opened his season with a 64.64m throw, however this will only be his second competition of the domestic season.
Women’s Open Long Jump Qualifiers:
With two-time Olympian Brooke Stratton only making her way back to training after knee surgery, the door is wide open for new champion. Samantha Dale leapt to glory at the Melbourne Track Classic, with a 6.72m personal best and will be the hot favourite over the following days of competition.
By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 31/3/2022
