Starc to lead Australia on Day 8 of the Championships

Brandon Starc is competing in the men’s high jump final on Day 8 of The IAAF World Athletics Championships, Doha 2019.

He is up against some very good competition, including Maksim Nedasekau who jumped 2.35m at the Dinamo National Olympic Stadium, Minsk (BLR) in early September. Brandon is on at 4:50pm local time (11:50pm AEST).

Also tonight, we get our first look at our relay teams in action. Australia has three relays teams at the Word Championships, with the 4x100m team featuring: Nana Owusu-Afriyie, Madison Coates, Kristie Edwards, Melissa Breen & Celeste Mucci, they are on in the heats at 8:40pm local time (3:40am 5 Oct – AEST)

The 4x100m best time in 2019 is 43.19, which was achieved at the World Relays in Japan in May. This team is different, but their training and coaching might prove the be the factor they need.  To qualify for the final, the team needs fo finish in the first three in their heat or have one of the two fastest times.

Before both the high jump and the 4x100m, we get to see Stewart McSweyn and Matt Ramsden again in the semi-final of the 1500m at 8:10pm local time (3:10am 5 Oct – AEST).

To finish off the night, Australian race walkers Dane Bird-Smith and Rhydian Cowley will be battling out in the heat at 11:30pm (6:30am 5 Oct – AEST).

Stewart McSweyn is in the men’s 1500m heat at 8:10pm (3:10am 4 Oct -AEST)

State: TAS

Resident: Melbourne

Event & PBs: 1500m 3:31.81 (Monaco MON, 12 Jul 2019), 5000m 13:05.23 (Brussels BEL, 31 Aug 2018)

Coach: Nic Bideau

Social Media (Twitter/Instagram): @Stewy_mac3 /stewy_mac3

International Champs & medals:

World Cross Country (2013 junior, 2017, 2019)

World University Games (2015)

Continental Cup (2018)

World Championships (2017)

Commonwealth Games (2018)

Stewart McSweyn grew up on Tasmania’s small but picturesque, King Island, located in the Bass Strait, population less than 2000. He went to school at King Island District School and ran around his family’s beef and sheep farm. He boarded at Ballarat Clarendon College from Year 7 and ran for the strong Eureka Athletics Club. Up to 14 or 15 he played cricket, tennis and AFL, but then decided to concentrate on athletics. “It was an easy choice as it was my best sport. Also I had got a few injuries in AFL.” He developed nicely under local coach Rod Griffin and cemented his love for the sport.

Most teenage years he would make nationals and occasional won a medal. Competed at the 2013 World Cross Country in the junior race and two years later at the World University Games in the 5000m. The versatile athlete competed in the steeplechase at the 2017 World Championships, but switched his focus to the 5000m and 10,000m for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Over 10 weeks from June to the end of Aug 2018 he smashed his PBs from 1500m to 5000m – 3:34.82 (1500m), 7:34.79 (3000m), 13:05.23 (5000m) & 28:05.37 (10,000). In December he won Zatopek in another PB 27:50.89.

There have been more PBs in 2019, starting early with a national indoor 1500m record of 3:35.10. Then outdoors he twice ran 3:31.81, just outside training partner Ryan Gregson’s national record. His 1500m and 5000m times made him the second fastest in Australian history. One hiccup was the 2019 World Cross Country Championships where he was ill with the flu leading into the race and could not start.

Hero – two local athletes in Ballarat when he was at school: Collis Birmingham was supportive, gave advice and allowed me to train with him. Brett Robinson - In his first year at Uni in the 2014 season, Stewart nearly given up the sport, but Brett supported and encouraged him to come to training. Other sports - cricket, tennis and AFL. Education – Secondary Teaching Uni Southern QLD (current, graduate 2021), podiatry (2 years – incomplete due to travel)… Memorable sporting moment – “Qualifying for a home Commonwealth Games with a lot of my friends and family present.”…Influence – “My Parents (Jack & Scott), Siblings (Carmen & Angus) and my coach (Nic Bideau).”…Sporting relatives - Scott McSweyn (father) Australian weightlifting representative.

Matt Ramsden is in the men’s 1500m heat at 8:10pm (3:10am 4 Oct -AEST)

State: WA

Resident: Melbourne

Event & PB: 1500m 3:35.85 (Lahti FIN, 5 Jun 2019)

Coach: Nic Bideau

Social Media (Twitter/Instagram): m__ramsden/m.ramsden

International Champs & medals:

World Cross Country (2015 junior, 2019)

World Juniors (2016)

Matthew Ramsden started athletics aged 14 when a Japanese teacher invited him to the school runners club. He trained to break the school records and stay fit for basketball. After making the state XC team in 2012, “I realised I had a bit of talent. Before long basketball took a backwards step and I became obsessed with distance running.”

Within a couple of years he was selected for the junior event at the World Cross Country Championships, aged 17. The following year (2016) he went to the World Juniors making the 1500m final and running the 5000m. While still a teenager he ran the impressive 1500m time of 3:39.39 in May 2017.

In good form in the leadup to the 2018 Commonwealth Games trials, he ruptured his plantar fascia in his heat. He compiled a strong series of performances in the 2018/19 summer, including placing fifth in the World XC trial. After initially missing selection, he received a late call up going on to place an outstanding 39th in Aarhus in his senior international debut at the World XC. He launched his 2019 European campaign with a stunning near four seconds 1500m PB time of 3:35.85 – moving from 39th to 14th Australian all-time, to sit one place behind another WA athlete Herb Elliott. A week later he ran a seven seconds 3000m PB time of 7:45.68 (15th all-time). After a quick trip to Australia to win the Oceania Championships, he ran a five seconds mile PB time of 3:53.32 (7th all-time).

Sporting ambition - Long term is to win medals and break records. Short term is to make finals and take all the WA records from 1500m - 10,000m…Memorable achievement – Running at the WXC in Denmark and placing 39th on debut…Influence - Ryan Gregson & Nic Bideau. All the MTC boys have helped me in some way but Ryan has looked after me and given me one on one lessons since my first day in the group. He has always supported me through the highs and lows of my career and has treated me the same after victory and defeat. Without Nic I would not be in the sport right now. He has given me opportunities some athletes could only dream of, set me up financially and supported my academic ambitions. Since I met him he has reassured me I can be a great one day, even when I couldn’t see it… Advice to your young self - Go hard at it and you’ll always walk away proud…Interesting facts – “I used to have a 20cm long rats tail, I grew up in a town with a population of 800, I didn’t eat bread for 10 years after I choked on a sandwich in kindy, the most common youtube videos I watch are politics based.”

Brandon Starc in the men’s high jump at 8:15pm local time (3:15am AEST).

Club: Parramatta City,

Resident: Sydney

Event & PB: High Jump 2.36m (Eberstadt GER, 26 Aug 2018)

Coach: Alex Stewart

Social Media (Twitter/Instagram): Brandonstarc93/bstarc

International Champs & medals:

Youth Olympics (2010 silver)

World Juniors (2012)

Commonwealth Games (2014, 2018 gold)

Continental Cup (2018 silver)

World Championships (2013, 2015)

He began Little Athletics, with all his siblings, at an early age at Parramatta and began to focus on high jump seriously in about 2009. He also played cricket and football but decided to pursue athletics.

In his international debut at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010, Brandon won silver with a PB 2.19m. In 2012, he placed sixth at the world juniors ahead of his senior debut in 2013 at the world championships. Eighth in the Commonwealth Games in 2014, preceded a breakthrough in 2015 where domestically he raised his PB to 2.30m, before a magnificent first attempt clearance at 2.31m in the qualifying round at the world championships. It earned him a berth in the final, the first Australian since Tim Forsyth in 1997 to make the world championship final.

Selected for the Rio Olympics, he was excellent, clearing 2.29m in the qualifying round to progress to the final where he placed 15th. Limited competition in 2017, due to injury (shin) which left him short of a qualifier for the 2017 World Championships.

A solid 2017/18 domestic season saw him win the Commonwealth Games trials with a jump of 2.28m – his best height since Rio. A landmark year started with him winning the Commonwealth games gold with a PB 2.32m clearance. After a gradual start in Europe (two 2.20m jumps) he equalled his PB 2.32m in Hungary, then set a PB 2.33m in Birmingham in August. A week later he added another an astonishing 3cm to his best with an amazing 2.36m clearance in Germany. The mark equalled the Australian record, was the highest leap by an Australian for 21 years and moved him to equal third in the world.

Five days later he cleared 2.33m to win the Diamond League final and then won silver in the Continental cup.

He is the younger brother of Australian cricketer Mitchell whom he regards as a major influence too him. In his earlier days, Brandon also ran in the hurdles. His hobbies include photography and collecting sports shoes.

Dane Bird-Smtih is in the men’s 20km race walk at 11:30pm (6:30am 5 Oct – AEST)

Coach: David Smith

Club: Queensland racewalking,

Event & PB: 20km Walk 1:19.28 (London GBR, 13 Aug 17)

Social Media (Twitter/Instagram):  @ozwalker92/dbirds92

International Champs & medals (senior):

World Championships (2013, 2015, 2017)

Olympic Games (2016 - bronze)

Race Walking World Cup (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)

Commonwealth Games (2018 - gold)

World University Games (2015 – gold)

Dane Bird-Smith was a talented all-round junior athlete, not just in race walking, but sprinting. He won a national under-20 title with Queensland as a member of their 4x400m relay. In junior race walking he achieved two top-8 places in the 10,000m walk at IAAF junior events and also represented Australia as a junior at the World Mountain Running Championships. He made his senior debut at the 2012 World Race Walking Cup. At just 21-years-old he achieved a stunning 11th in the 20km walk at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Russia. It was the same course his father and coach Dave Smith had competed on 33 years earlier at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He continued to progress in 2015 placing eighth at the World Championships and won the World University Games title. In his Olympic debut in Rio, he was magnificent, placing third and winning bronze in a PB time of 1:19.37. In 2017 he continued his brilliant form clocking a personal best of 1:19.28 on the years’ major stage, the 2017 World Championships where he placed sixth. It was his third appearance at the world championships and now has placed 11th, 8th and 6th, all better than his father/coach Dave Smith who placed a best of 15th in the ‘80s. In his home state of Queensland, he was supreme at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games winning gold in the 20km walk. Hamstring problems in 2018 hampered his competition program.

Education - Bachelor of Health Sport and Physical Education – Uni of Queensland (2015 - ) …Family - Dane’s father/ coach Dave Smith is a dual Olympian. His dad’s 20km walk PB remains six seconds faster…in late 2017 he married Katy…Nickname – Danish…Start in sport - his father encouraged him into athletics from a young age. Initially a sprinter, until he took up race walking as a teenager. “All my life I have been surrounded by the track. The week I was born dad took me to training. I do recall at some stage being pushed around in a pram on a track. I never really chose race walking, it just happened along the way at high school.” He has been involved in athletics from a young age, and first tried race walking as a teenager. The school needed someone to take part in the race walk at a competition, and he had free time between his running events, so he gave it a go”…Memorable sporting achievement – “Rio bronze medal means the most to me as it was the Olympic dream fulfilled.”…Memorable sporting moment – “Start line of the Commonwealth Games Gold Coast was so proud because I was there to race against all odds and after battling with mental health. I committed to the race and to enjoying myself in competition again.”

Rhydian Cowley is in the men’s 20km race walk at 11:30pm (6:30am 5 Oct – AEST)

Club & State: Glenhuntly AC, VIC

Coach: Brent Vallance

Event & PB: 20km walk 1:20.19 (Nomi JPN, 17 March 2019)

International Championships:

Race Walking Cup (junior 2008, 2010; 2012, 2014, 2016 & 2018)

World Juniors/U20s (2010)

World University Games (2015)

World championships (2013 & 2017)

Commonwealth Games (2018)

Olympics (2016)

After being encouraged to get into Little Athletics by his dad, Rhydian started race walking when he was eight. He made his international debut in the junior event at the 2008 World Walking Cup in Russia, following up with another World Walking Cup appearance and the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2010. He made his senior debut in 2012, competing at the World Race Walking Cup aged just 21, and then the following year lined up at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow.

There were further team starts in 2014 (World Walking Cup) and 2015 (Summer Universiade). He make his Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio where he placed 33rd in 1:23.30. Selected for the 2017 IAAF World Championships, he placed 56th in the 20km walk in 1:30.40. He had the opportunity to compete at an international meet on home soil at the Gold Coast Commonwealth games where he placed 11th.

From 2012 until 2018, his seasonal best hovered around 1:22 to 1:24 hours, but after making eight appearances in the green and gold at the highest levels, including Olympics and world championships, in 2019, aged 28, Rhydian has taken his PB to new levels with two times of 1:20.19 and 1:21.02. His new PB, which elevated him to number seven Australian all-time, not only qualified him for the Doha World Championships, but also the Tokyo Olympics.

Rhydian credits a change in focus, a good period of training and a move to Brent Vallance’s squad as key to his recent progression.

“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes the most difference, but I think my last 12 months training having been some of the most consistent I’ve managed is probably a factor. I think my change in coaching environment at the end of last year has also made a difference, getting regular training sessions in with a good group of athletes including Jemima Montag, Quentin Rew (NZL) and Kyle Swan. And I’ve been focusing on having fun and enjoying my athletics a bit more in this last year, which I think also helps.”

Education - Arts & Commerce, Deakin University (graduated 2015)… Hobbies - making jam, reading (history, dystopian fiction), visiting local community garden and learning new things… Sporting ambition - make a second Olympics and get a better result there than last time - hopefully a top 8 finish… Most memorable sporting achievement - competing at a home Commonwealth Games in front of friends & family and local crowd…Hero/idol - Jared Tallent - his championship medal winning record and his commitment to fighting for his belief in clean sport…Most influential person/s – parents, fiancee, coaches and the athletics community’s … Interesting facts - can hand count up to 1023 (both hands) in binary.