The Commonwealth roll into Brisbane

With just two weeks until the gun fires in the first event at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Queenslanders will get a preview of the Games when some of the best talent in the Commonwealth lines up for the Summer of Athletics Grand Prix meet in Brisbane tonight.

Athletes from over a dozen countries, including a large contingent from Japan, will compete against the Australian team.

Tonight’s meet will be highlighted by the return to competition of Kurtis Marschall after his spectacular fourth place at the world indoor championships.

On the track tonight are some of the greats of Commonwealth hurdling. Canada’s Angela Whyte will be contesting the 100m hurdles, but is preparing to compete in her fifth Commonwealth Games, and in a new event for her the heptathlon. Since Manchester in 2002 she has placed fifth, second, second and third in the 100m hurdles.

In the one lap event tonight, Scotland’s Eilidh Doyle, who was a bronze medallist in the 400m at the World Indoors earlier this month, continues her preparation to go one better in the 400m hurdles after winning silver medals at the last two Commonwealth Games.

In the men’s events, Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz competes in the 800m, the sprints have world class fields and the hammer throw is a Commonwealth Games preview.

MEN’S EVENTS
It would be hard to go past the men’s 100m as a top line up of talent with six sub-10.20 sprinters. Internationally, Canadian Aaron Brown is the quickest at 9.96, but Japan’s Ryota Yamagata looks the sharpest in the field. Last year he clocked 10.08 and 10.06 in Canberra and in his very last race in 2017 he ran a PB 10.00. At the Rio Olympics he made it to the 100m semifinal and won a silver with the Japanese 4x100m relay team.

The 200m also has depth not seen in Australia for a decade. On the start list are four sub-20.40 athletes led by Canadian Gavin Smellie, a world championships 4x100m relay bronze medallist. It will be a perfect warmup for four-time Australian 200m champion Alex Hartmann to test himself against some of the athletes he will meet in the Carrara Stadium in two weeks. The 400m is a race between a pair of Japanese visitors Kentaro Sato (45.58)/Julian Jrummi Walsh (45.35) and Commonwealth-bound English athletes Dwayne Cowan (45.34) and Yousif Rabah (44.54).

Olympic 1500m champion Matthew Centrowitz was impressive last Saturday night in Sydney, but will find tough competition over 800m from Australian Commonwealth Games team member, Josh Ralph.

US-based Queenslander Pat Tiernan, our fourth fastest 5000m runner in history, competes against a domestic field as he continues his preparation for the Commonwealth Games 10,000m.

Australian 400m hurdles champion, Ian Dewhurst couldn’t ask for a better competition than two sub-49 athletes. Joining him on the start line will be Jack Green (ENG, 48.60) and Takayuki Kishimoto (JPN, 48.41)

The hammer throw has a terrific Commonwealth line-up with three 70+ metre competitors. Medal hopes Chris Bennett (SCO) and Matthew Denny (AUS) lead the field and are joined by Japan’s Ryota Kashimura and Melbourne’s Jack Dalton.

Australia’s rising pole vault star, Kurtis Marshall makes his first appearance domestically since his fourth place at the world indoor championships. The long jump field is chocked with eight metre jumpers, Japanese pair Kota Minemura and Hibiki Tsuha, competing against Aussie duo Henry Frayne and Chris Mitrevski.

WOMEN’S EVENTS
A terrific international field with sub-11 athlete Dina Asher-Smith (ENG) having her second race down under and facing the challenge of Canadian 11.14 sprinter Crystal Emmanuel and Japanese record holder at 11.21 Chisato Fukushima.

In addition to Scotland’s Eilidh Doyle in the 400m, genuine Commonwealth Games medal hope, England’s Emily Diamond (PB 51.23) starts in this race.

Competing in the field events will be Australia’s defending Commonwealth discus champion Dani Stevens and number two hammer thrower in the Commonwealth, Canada’s Jillian Weir.

The Summer of Athletics Grand Prix takes place in Brisbane tonight.
Watch the action via live stream available on the Athletics Australia website here and on Facebook here.
View the timetable and latest entry list here.

For further details please contact
DAVID TARBOTTON
David.tarbotton@gmail.com,
mobile 0438 604 589.