Rivalries ignite for Sydney Track Classic’s long jump showdown

The Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic is set to be the battleground for a long jump saga of Olympic and Paralympic proportions, as Australia’s finest leap into the spotlight with their eyes set on Paris 2024.

The meet at E.S Marks Athletics Field in Moore Park next Saturday, 23 March will see a host of world class talent at the iconic Sydney venue, with a stellar field in both the women’s and men’s long jump events ramping up their quest for Olympic selection.

At the forefront of the charge is two-time Olympic finalist Brooke Buschkuehl (Russell Stratton) who is eager to add to her list of achievements following her 6.51m victory at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne last month, with the Australian record holder laser focussed on building back up to her form that saw her fly to a 7.13m leap in 2022.

“Training has been going really well as of the last couple of weeks. My season hasn’t started as well as I would have liked, but I am confident the progress I am seeing in training will soon start to reflect in competition,” Buschkuehl said.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to put some jumps together that I know I’m capable of. The Sydney Track Classic is always a fun event to be a part of and it’s exciting that it’s being held at E.S Marks this year.”

While Buschkuel lands in Sydney as the most credentialed long jumper, the 30-year-old will be challenged by Australian representatives Samantha Dale (Andrew Murphy) and Elizabeth Hedding (Alex Stewart) who are on the rise as the trio lock horns for the final time before the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships next month.

Sydney local and Australia’s all-time number 7 women’s long jumper, Dale has beaten Buschkuehl on four of their last eight match-ups but the plot will take an intriguing twist as Hedding enters the field, with a recent victory over the pair with a 6.48m lifetime best in Christchurch a fortnight ago.

In the mix is also World Under 20 Championships fourth-place getter Emelia Surch (Glynis Nunn) who adds to the formidable line up of contenders, while two-time Paralympian and Oceania record holder at 5.49m,  Sarah Walsh (T64, Matt Beckenham) will use the opportunity to build World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe and the Paris 2024 Games in August.

“It’s always exciting to have a competition like a Track Classic in Sydney and in front of a home crowd where I can have family and friends watch me compete,” Dale said.

“All events are important at definitely the Sydney Track Classic in the lead up to the Olympics, as it’s another chance to jump bigger and put all the training into competition, plus you compete against the best in the event so it pushes you to bring your best.

“The women’s long jump is in a great place at the moment and it’s great to have all of us so competitive in an Olympic year, because it does push you to be better. As much as we are all friends, it makes you train harder and be better on the day.”

A hotly contested men’s field will feature a tussle between four eight-metre jumpers, with Australian representatives Liam Adcock (Andrew Murphy), Chris Mitrevski (Alex Stewart) and Darcy Roper (Luke Donatini) and rising star Jalen Rucker (Mike Barber) facing World University Games bronze medallist Chia-Hsing Lin (Chinese Taipei), while Paralympic bronze medallist Nick Hum (T20, John Boas) and Ari Gesini (T38, Sebastian Kuzminski) continue their build towards their third and second Paralympic Games respectively. 

2023 World Athletics Championships representatives Adcock and Mitrevski were unlucky to miss out on the global final last year, each by one-centimetre, but both are hungry to excel in the Olympic year.

Mitrevski leads the way in 2024, with two 7.96m jumps and a win at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne, as Roper finished behind him with a best of 7.86m in his six-jump sequence. While it’s been five years since his 8.14m best, the Australians cannot discount Lin who leapt to 7.84m to win at the Sir Graeme Douglas Memorial Classic in Auckland overnight.

The Sydney Track Classic is part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series and the World Athletics Continental Tour, offering athletes an important qualification opportunity for Paris 2024 and the opportunity to earn crucial world ranking points, allowing them to compete on the world stage.

With March 23 fast approaching, tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.

The Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic will be broadcast live and free on Seven’s digital platform, 7plus.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 11/3/2024