Tokyo beckons for four Aussie track and field stars

Four more Australians are one step closer to the start line at the Tokyo Olympics, with Linden Hall, Rohan Browning, Bendere Oboya and Nina Kennedy all receiving automatic nomination to the Australian Olympic Team following emphatic victories at the Australian Track and Field Championships. 

After locking away two Olympic qualifiers this season, Linden Hall (VIC) held off a classy field in the women's 1500m to secure an automatic nomination for the Australian Olympic Team. The new Australian record holder adopted a new approach for the affair, concentrating on tactics, but said it was a good opportunity to put learnings from the season into practise.

"I'm so relieved. You can run all the fast times you want but you still have to win at Nationals when it counts and everyone is on their game here so you can't count anyone out. I don't think I looked at a single split. I just focussed on my positioning because it was a good chance to practice in a bunchy tactical race," Hall said.

Although final confirmation of her selection still pending, Hall's goals are clear.

"Obviously first up is to make the final. It's been a long five years waiting for another opportunity. Watching the final from the stands really sucked."

It was the men's 100m that had the stadium still in silence, all eyes were on sprint sensation Rohan Browning (NSW) tonight as he ticked off another milestone on his journey to become the first Australian in 17 years to compete in the 100m at the Olympic Games. Stopping the clock at 10.09 (0.4) in chilly conditions, Browning said the run filled him with confidence about what was to come as he gets ready to ticket off another career milestone in July.

"To run a 10.0 in a cold night with no wind in Sydney makes me really confident for the Olympics," Browning said.

"I never want to be a lane filler. I never want to go out there to bom b out in the heats. I came 40th in Doha (in 2019) and I don't want to do that again. I want to be competitive and I really think I can."

In the women's event Hana Basic (VIC) tore down the straight in 11.23 (0.5) to equal the meet record held by Sally Pearson. While she missed the Olympic qualifying standard, Basic said her trajectory throughout the season has given her the self-belief she needs to get her on the Tokyo start line. 

"I've been with (coach) John (Nicolosi) since 2016 and he always believed I could be the national champion, I just didn't believe in myself. I kind of checked out before I even tried. I saw a chance in COVID last year and here we are," she said.

"I know I can (get the Olympic qualifier) and me and John have both said that today is day one. I'll take a week off, but it's back into hard training because I know that it's there in me. I know I can get the time and I will do anything to get it."

Another athlete securing her Olympic berth was Nina Kennedy (WA), who cleared 4.75m to become the 2021 Australian champion. It was more of a relief than a surprise for Australia’s best female pole vaulter in history, after she recently cleared 4.82m to etch her name into the record books. 

“I’ve never competed in such cold conditions so to get a really good clearance at 4.75 was promising, and I had some good attempts at 4.85 but I just wasn’t on tonight,” she said.

“That’s okay though I’m pretty happy with the national title!”  

Kennedy has made her intentions for Tokyo clear – "I want to bring home a medal." 

It was a 21st birthday celebration like no other for Bendere Oboya (NSW) as she crossed the finish line in the women's 400m to secure her ticket to Tokyo. After cruising into the final, Oboya proved she truly is unbeatable on home soil, clocking 52.20 to win the national title and 26 out of her last 27 domestic races.

Having run her qualifier all the way back at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, before the pandemic delayed the Tokyo Games, it was a long wait for the Ethopian-born sprinter but one she is grateful for.

"It's such a great feeling to have this now, and on my birthday too. I have been waiting for this race for a while, but the plan was to come here and win and that's what I did," Oboya said.

"I'm loving competing and learning to run the 400m. I don't have any expectations for myself in Tokyo, and I want to go out there and do my best."

In other results tonight, four-time world champion and Paralympic silver medallist Isis Holt (VIC) made a stunning comeback to the Australian Track and Field Championships, nearing closer to the world record she set in the 100m T35 she set back in 2018. Clocking 13.63, she defeated T38 athletes Ella Pardy (WA, 13.27) and Rhiannon Clarke (WA, T38) to record her eight Paralympic qualifier. 

Peter Bol (WA) was made to work significantly harder than predicted to win the 800m Australian title, but the smooth mover proved too slick once clicking into top gear to win in 1:49.27. After missing the Olympic standard by 0.03 seconds when running 1:45.23 at the Canberra Track Classic, Bol is confident the breakthrough time is just around the corner. 

“One thing I didn’t want to do was lead tonight. I just had to stay patient, and I knew I’d be alright in that last hundred,” he said. 

Jared Micalef (QLD) finished in second place less than half a second away, whilst 19-year-old Jack Lunn (VIC) stormed home to secure a bronze medal in his maiden season out of the juniors. 

T47 sprinter and Tokyo hopeful Alissa Jordaan (ACT) won her first Open title, with an Australian record to match, running 61.96 over a lap, breaking a record set by Ella Osbourne in 2019.  

For the full results, visit: http://athletics.resultshub.com.au/ 

By  Lachlan Moorhouse and Sascha Ryner
Posted: 17/4/2021