Tiernan confident ahead of Zatopek:10 title defence

It will be a more confident Pat Tiernan who stands on the start line in the Australian 10,000m Championships on Thursday night, the feature event of Zatopek:10.

The Australian 10,000m Championships will deliver automatic nomination for the Australian Commonwealth Games Team for the first two eligible athletes across the finish line.

Tiernan claimed his first Ron Clarke Medal in 2016 off the back of a stellar season which included winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Cross Country Championships and an Olympic debut.

The highs have continued for Tiernan this year, but incredibly, it’s a low that will see him stand just that little bit taller when he walks into Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne to defend his national 10,000m title.

A purple patch heading into this year’s IAAF World Championships delivered five new PB’s for Tiernan across 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m, qualifying the US-based Queenslander across the two latter events in London.

“Making the final in the 5000m was a really big thing for me personally,” says Tiernan. “I didn’t have any of my best races of the season at world champs, but I did have my worst race of the year in the 10,000m.”

The mental and physical hurdle that Tiernan, then 22, overcame to post an auto-qualifier for the final of the 5,000m in London just days after such disappointment proved a massive confidence boost.

“It shows that I can compete at that level and that I do want to do well on the highest stage,” he said.

While more eyes will be on Tiernan, courtesy of last year’s win, little has changed in the lead up to his defence and just as he did in 2016, arrived back in Australia from the US over the weekend.

“I always have fairly high expectations on myself, and at the same time I think they’re fairly realistic ones,” he says. “I try not to put too much pressure on myself just because there are things that I expect of myself, rather than reaching too far beyond that.”

There will be no shortage of contenders looking to spoil a repeat performance from Tiernan with 2015 runner-up Brett Robinson, Stewart McSweyn who was second in 2016, 2015 winner Dave McNeil, and Harry Summers who earned a Commonwealth Games B Qualifier in Japan late last month all strong contenders.

“They’re all very experienced and know how to do it come race day,” Tiernan says.  “But you can’t rule anyone out, so I’ll be keeping my eyes open.”

In the women’s 10,000m event, while New Zealand’s Camille Buscomb, first across the line in 2016, won’t be back to defend her title, but there is no shortage of talent lining up to add their name to the honour role. With four podium finishes to her name, Jess Trengove will be chasing her first win. Andrea Seccafien, Canadian Olympic and world championship representative, steps up to the 10,000m, and Eloise Wellings, the four-time Zatopek winner, will be looking to continue her domination of the event. Celia Sullohern will be one to watch following her breakthrough Melbourne Marathon win, while Bridey Delaney, Emily Brichachek and Sinead Diver will all push for a competitive race.

Across a huge night of athletics, the 1500m events also promise thrilling racing with a solid field in the women’s race including Rio semi-finalist Zoe Buckman, Georgia Griffith, Melissa Duncan, Brittany McGowan and 16-year-old Keely Small. In the men’s 1500m, triple Olympian Jeff Riseley, Matthew Ramsden and Jordan Gunsman highlight the field.

The shot put competition features Damien Birkinhead, who recently claimed the Australian record of 21.35m, bettering the previous mark set by his coach Scott Martin.

Meantime, in the under 20 3000m events, qualifying times for next year’s world championships will again be under threat with strong fields across both men’s and women’s races for the named in honour of two Commonwealth Games marathon champions Lisa Ondieki and Rob de Castella.

Zatopek:10 will be live streamed on Athletics Victoria's Facebook page with events underway from 6:30pm. The Zatopek women's 10,000m race starts at 8:15pm while the men's race starts at 9:15pm.