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Top three Aussie performances at Nitro Athletics

Published Thu 16 Feb 2017

One of the biggest performances by a local athlete in the Coles Nitro Athletics Melbourne series was undoubtedly from Team Australia sprinter Riley Day taking victory in the 150m on the final night.

The 16-year-old from the small town in Queensland of Beaudesert stretched out her arms at the finish line, a step ahead of a quality field that included world championships 100m finalist Natasha Morrison.

It capped an unbelievable week for Day who knocked off the Jamaican, who has broken 11 seconds for 100m, just seven days after going head-to-head with the fastest man on the planet Usain Bolt in a mixed relay.

“I’m speechless, I was not expecting that to be honest,” Day said after defeating Morrison.

“I was just trying to catch the girls in front of me and I’m really happy with that run.

“No not at all (can believe I won), just to be running against all these wonderful women is an honour.

(Family and friends) are really proud of me.

“They’re just saying good luck, we’re proud of you, good job – my facebook is going off the hook at the moment.

“Yeah, it’s getting better (my signature).”

Given the Nitro concept, it was fitting that one of the most well-executed moves from an Australian on the Lakeside Stadium track came out in a celebration after an event.

Celebrations were very popular over the three-night series from choreographed dances involving multiple athletes to personalized handshakes, and even a kiss was blown to a competitor.

All of them gave Nitro some colourful fun, but none were delivered better than the ‘saltbae’ imitation from Team Australia half miler Luke Mathews after winning the 3-minute challenge in round one.

“I called Brett Robinson up today and said what am I going to do (for a celebration),” Mathews said after his Vince McMahon walk during the final.

“I’ve been a fan of Connor McGregor and his last two fights he’s done the Vince McMahon coming in, so then I tried to put it into the Cristiano Ronaldo stance.”

In one of the closest finishes of the series there was no time for a celebration from sprinter Luke Stevens as he just held off reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion Kerron Clement to win the mixed 2x300m relay.

Stevens took the baton from Western Athletics teammate Morgan Mitchell with a small lead and pushed hard to the bend before dipping at the line just ahead of the US sprint star who had drifted out to lane two.

“About seven months ago he won the gold medal in Rio, such a good guy, it was a good hit-out and even if I got second I would have been proud with the run,” Stevens said.

“I gave it my all, every time you wear green and gold you wear it with pride and I just used that underdog status about me, I knew I was in it, had all my teammates on the side.

“The crowd has been the best part of this thing.”

A special mention must go to team co-captain Genevieve LaCaze who well and truly took on the 'Nitro Attitude' for the series by giving her all on and off the track.

The Olympic steeplechase and 5,000m finalist signed autographs, took selfies, did every interview and cheered on her team from the infield every night.


“This is huge for us, Bolt is obviously a recognized name globally no matter where he is people are going to kick and scream to force their way to the front of the crowds,” LaCaze said at a press conference before the final.

“But for the Australian athletes this is huge, we’re putting out young Riley Day who a week ago people wouldn’t have recognised and now she’s just this superstar that kids will be lining up to get her autograph.

“I think that’s huge for Australian athletics, we’ve got the Commonwealth Games coming up and to promote our own athletes as stars is important.”