Titles and Rivals As Championships Heat Up

The 2022 calendar always promised to produce an action-packed year of athletics, and if the prelude is anything to go by – Australian fans can strap themselves for a year of success on the international scene.

Fresh off walking his way to the Oceania and Australian 20km title, Declan Tingay (Steven Tingay) dropped down to 5000m for similar results – recording a stunning national record of 18:24.50 to surpass Olympic bronze medalist Dane Bird-Smith’s mark of 18:38.97.

Jemima Montag (Brent Vallance) continued her golden form with a new Victorian 5000m record of 20:17.35, backing up her 20km Australian record at the recent Oceania and Australian 20km Race Walking Championships in Adelaide.

Whilst Montag will not contest this weekend’s World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Oman, Tingay looks primed to lead the men’s 20km team – many of whom featured prominently at the Victorian State Championships, including Rhydian Cowley (Brent Vallance) who won state title number 10.

Clara Smith (Nicole Fagan and Noela MckInven) also walked a personal best of 21:30.86 in her final hit-out before donning the green and gold in Oman.

Former Australian record holder Joseph Deng (Justin Rinaldi) is back in action and looked to be in sublime form and he dismantled the field at the Victorian State Championships, cruising to victory in a time of 1:50.11.

The man with a best of 1:44.21 over 800m has been largely unseen since 2020, but a rejuvenated Deng looks to be enjoying his running alongside teammate Peter Bol - as the two look to return to the top of the global 800m ranks.

In the women’s 800m it was Claudia Hollingsworth (Craig Mottram) who made light work of a quality field, with the 16-year-old surging to victory in 2:03.34. Abbey Caldwell (Gavin Burren) returned to action with a run of 2:03.51 for silver, with the significant personal best only a positive sign of what is to come in her pet event of the 1500m.

Chris Mitrevski (John Boas) translated the 10.27 speed we saw over 100m early in the year onto the runway, equaling his career-best jump with a leap of 8.05m (+1.8) to take home the Victorian title. Mitrevski narrowly missed qualification for the Tokyo Olympics, but looks to have built on his 2021 momentum as he approaches new territory in the sandpit.

Hobart’s Run The Bridge saw Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) dominate a classy men’s 10km field to win with ease in a time of 28:37 on the undulating course, as Rose Davies (Scott Westcott) held off Charlotte Purdue (GBR) to win in 32:32. The win was made all the more sweeter for Robinson as he picked up the bonus for being the first athlete across the line, mowing down Davies in the final metres of the race after the women were given a 3:53 head start.   

In the United States it was Australian junior representative Tomas Palfrey (Oregon) lighting it up for the Ducks with a blistering run of 1:48.38 over 800m indoors, securing a win at the Pac-12 Invitational and narrowly missing his outdoor best of 1:48.26.

The 19-year-old appears to be settling in well at a school that is renowned for producing world-class distance runners, having raced on four occasions to produce two wins and two second placings in a strong showing of early-season form.

Ky Robinson (Stanfrod) continued his assault on the indoor circuit, backing up his recent 13:21 run over 5000m with a 3000m performance of 7:50.35 as he fine tunes his preparations for the NCAA Indoor Championships – where he is set to feature prominently.

Former world junior finalist Amelia Mazza-Downie (New Mexico) is quietly building momentum for the Lobos upon returning to Albuquerque after a short stint down under, clocking 16:07.14 in the 5000m to be crowned Mountain West Women’s Indoor 5000m champion.  

Imogen Barrett (Florida) has gone from strength-to-strength for the Gators in 2022, setting yet another indoor 800m personal best of 2:03.39 to clinch bronze in the strong Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships. Barrett’s indoor form has her well placed to reach new heights in the outdoor season, but she will first contend the NCAA Indoor Championships beginning on March 11.

The podiums continued for Lauren Ryan (Florida State) and Jackson Sharp (Wisconsin), with Ryan dropping down to the mile and running 4:37.35 en route to third place in a slick field as she prepares for both the NCAA and World Indoor Championships. Sharp also harvested a bronze medal when clocking 8:00.01 as he and his teammates swept the podium, made even more impressive by his 3:59.85 mile just hours before the 3000m.

Gigi Maccagnini (Southern California) and Lucinda Crouch (Wisconsin) also put in strong showings over 800m and 3000m respectively, clocking 2:06.40 and 9:25.51.

The U20 1500m at the NSW Sate Championships proved to be one of the races of the weekend, as Dan Kelly (Ben St Lawrence) stormed home to take the win in a swift 3:46.77 ahead of Bailey Habler (Jeremy Roff) in 3:47.90 – both achieving the 3:48.50 qualifying standard for the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Colombia.

Kane Shields (Dani Andres) was valiant in third place but ultimately missed the standard by the narrowest of margins, with the clock reading 3:48.52.

Fellow U20 stars Joshua Atkinson (Graham Garnett) and Isabella Guthrie (Angus McEntyre) proved far too good in their respective 400m bouts, winning in times of 46.81 and 55.19 respectively as they continue to stake their claim for a berth in Colombia - meanwhile Jas Guthrie (Angus McEntyre) dropped down to the 200m and took the win in 24.55 (+0.2). 

Mitchell Lightfoot (Andy Burton) has made a habit of winning in fast times this season, and the weekend proved no different as he coasted to victory in the 110m hurdles in a time of 13.66 – proving to be a model of consistency to date. Delta Amidzovski registered yet another world junior qualifier of 13.51 in the women’s 100m hurdles, narrowly missing Michelle Jenneke’s 13.46 Under 18 New South Wales record.

The 1500m women matched the depth male counterparts, as Hayley Kitching (Tim Kitching) spearheaded a trio of world junior qualifiers when taking the win in a time of 4:20.06. Montana Monk (Scott Westcott) was gallant on her way to silver in 4:27.90, whilst the ever-improving Laura Roderick (Jordan Williams) settled for third when running 4:28.29.

Kitching returned to also win the 800m state title in a time of 2:05.53, finishing ahead of Nicola Hogg (Ben Liddy) in 2:08.00 – with both girls achieving the world junior standard.

Connor Bond (Michael Zisti) was ecstatic with his run of 10.56 (-0.5) to be crowned the fastest U20 man in the state, crushing the world junior standard in an emphatic display despite the slight headwind. 800m-man Luke Boyes (Ben St Lawrence) also clinched a punched in a world junior qualifier of his own on his way to gold in the 800m, stopping the clock in 1:50.62.

Meanwhile in Western Australia, Etienne Rousseau (Didier Poppe) launched the discus 58.29m to record a significant personal best and world junior qualifier, with the 19-year-old piecing together a strong season in various throws events as he eyes an international debut at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Colombia.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 28/02/2022