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Tallent heads to London as Griffith impresses

Published Mon 19 Jun 2017

Rachel Tallent (Vic) has been added to Team Australia for the IAAF World Championships, as Georgia Griffith (Vic) continued her rapid rise in the women’s 1500m on a big weekend of athletics.

Set to join Beki Smith (NSW) and Regan Lamble (Vic), Tallent’s confirmation in the women’s 20km walk ensures a full quota of green and gold starters on the picturesque surrounds of ‘the Mall’ on Sunday 13 August.

Tallent is the younger sister of four-time Olympic medallist and men’s 50km walk starter Jared Tallent, with her selection ensuring a third consecutive start representing Australia at an Olympics or world championships after her debut in Beijing 2015.

For Griffith, a more than six second personal best of 4:07.30 in the 1500m cemented her position as a star on the rise having only last week posted a women’s 800m qualifying mark for London 2017 of 2:00.90.

The follow-up performance in Portland (USA) at the Stumptown Twilight meet by Griffith puts her in the box seat to become the first Australian ever to compete the 800m and 1500m double at world championships. Griffith is currently the only athlete qualified for the women’s 800m, with Linden Hall (Vic) joining her on the qualified list for the metric mile.

Overnight, Ryan Gregson (Vic) performed strongly at the IAAF Diamond League in Stockholm (SWE) in the men’s 1500m. Gregson made amends for an uncharacteristic performance in Oslo (NOR) on Thursday of last week to clock a season best time of 3:34.37.

Gregson was joined on entry lists in Stockholm by Ella Nelson (NSW), who ran 23.27 (w:+1.1) in the women’s 200m to place sixth as she continues her preparations for the IAAF World Championships. Luke Mathews (Vic) ran 1:53.86 in the men’s 800m and Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) jumped 7.78m in the men’s long jump.

For full results from the IAAF Diamond League in Stockholm (SWE), please click here.

Closer to home, Luke Cann (WA) was impressive in the men’s javelin at the Student Games in Townsville (Qld), hitting a Commonwealth Games ‘A’ Qualifier of 81.07m, a personal best of 1.49 metres.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, both Brianna Beahan (WA) and Michelle Jenneke (NSW) narrowly missed the London 2017 qualifier of 12.98, crossing the line in 13.10 and 13.16 respectively, while Jessica Thornton (NSW) made her return to the track from injury with 54.47 in the women’s 400m.

Brooke Stratton (Vic) also made a comeback from injury, soaring a windy 6.57m (w: +2.2) in the women’s long jump.

For full results from the Student Games, please click here.

In impressive para-athletics results, both Jaryd Clifford (Vic) and James Turner (NSW) clocked record breaking times as they continue to prepare for the World Para-Athletics Championships next month.

Lining up in Canberra (ACT), Clifford ran 1:55.66 to lower the national record for the T12 visually impaired 800m, as Turner bettered his own world record mark to 52.99 in the T36 400m for athletes with cerebral palsy.

In other results from a big weekend for Australian athletics:

-          Kelsey-Lee Roberts (ACT) backed up her personal best throw of 64.09m with victory in Kuortane (FIN) with a throw of 60.09m.

-          Stewart McSweyn (Tas) took line honours in the men’s 3000m at the Kuortane Games, clocking 7:58.08

-          Continuing his preparations for the World University Games, Adam Pyke (Vic) won the men’s 1500m at the Gouden Spike in Leiden (NED).

-          Crossing the line in 2:03.79, Brittany McGowan (Qld) won the women’s 800m at the Benifica Athletics Meet in Lisbon (POR), with Selma Kajan (NSW) placing third.