Robinson secures Kampala start

Brett Robinson (Vic) has returned from altitude training at Falls Creek to win the Selection Trial for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and book his spot on the Australian team for Kampala 2017.

Competing across ten kilometres at the picturesque surrounds of Stromlo Forest in Canberra (ACT), the Rio 2016 Olympic 5000m finalist was among the leaders from the outset before narrowly edging ahead of Stewart McSweyn (Vic) to reign supreme in a time of 29:42.

McSweyn, the Australian cross-country champion, crossed the line in 29:45, with Jack Rayner (Vic) ensuring a Victorian treble with his third place finish in 29:53.

In the women’s race, Anna Kelly (Vic) was victorious in a time of 35:07, with Emily Ryan (ACT, 35:43) and Gemma Maini (Vic, 35:58) rounding out the top-three.

Kelly’s performance ensures that both Kelly and Ryan will debut for Australia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March, with Maini to don the green and gold at the event for a second time.

In the junior boy’s race, Callum McClusky (Vic) clocked 25:40 to win over eight kilometres, while Lauren Ryan (Vic), a starter at the 2016 IAAF World Under 20 Championships, was the winner of the girl’s six kilometre race in 21:39.

The Australian team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships will be confirmed this week, with the top-three in the men’s and women’s events to be joined by a possible three more athletes, creating teams of six.

The Selection Trial for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships followed the Hunter Track Classic in Newcastle (NSW) last night, with Morgan Mitchell (Vic) headlining the list of impressive results with her 51.96 to take line honours in the women’s 400m. The performance is her first one-lap qualifier for this year’s IAAF World Championships in London (GBR).

“I’m happy to get the qualifier out of the way, obviously. My coach thought it would happen, but I just didn’t trust it. I have been so under done in 400m training,” Mitchell said.

“For the first 350m I felt amazing and it could have been a personal best, then over that last 50 it got me and I was like ‘nah.’”

For full results from the Hunter Track Classic, please click here.