<10.02.07> - Double Gold To Tassie At National Athletics Championships
13 Feb 2007
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MEDIA RELEASE |
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DOUBLE GOLD TO TASSIE AT NATIONAL ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a case of double gold for host state
Tasmanian
His winning throw of 67.16m represented a 2.5 metre improvement on his personal best with the 800gm senior implement.
Coleman who recently returned home after a three week training camp at altitude with the AIS, walked his usual well judged race to record 44:55.91, just outside the time he will need to qualify for next year’s world under 20 championships.
Tasmania overall had another good day at the Championships, with silvers to North West under 23 athletes, Nicole Perry in the 800 metres in a personal best of 2:10.00 and Victoria Lynd in the shot put, to Launceston’s Danielle Dwyer with a state record of 3.60m in the pole vault and to Hobart’s Sam Crosswell in the under 20 400 metres in a time of 48.11.
Bronze medals were won by Luke Vaessen in the under 23 long jump (7.01m) and Aaron Humphrey in the 3000m steeple (10:11.57)
The Championships again produced some great competition.
Jeff Riseley produced an encore to his winning performance at the previous evening’s Graeme Briggs Memorial Meet, to take the under 23 800 metres title.
The young Victorian used similar tactics to Friday’s race, closing on the pace 200 metres from home and then drawing away from New South Welshman Matt Hammond who had doggedly held onto the lead until the last fifty metres.
Riseley’s time of 1:48.81 was his second fasted ever, just .5 of a second slower than the personal best he recorded 24 hours earlier.
The conditions at the Domain Centre were close to perfect once again, much to the appreciation of Queenslander Dylan Grant who won a dramatic men’s under 20 400 metres.
The tall Gold Coast athlete, coached by 1984 Olympic heptathlon champion, Glynis Nunn Cearns took .57 of a second off his best ever time to take the title in an impressive 46.83, from New Zealander, Andrew Underwood (47.98) and Burnie Gift runner up, Crosswell who won his silver as the second Australian home.
Another emerging talent, Kurt Mulcahy had led the race from the gun, but just ten metres from the line as Grant drew to his shoulder, the NSW north coaster appeared to clip the synthetic surface with his spikes, and dropped suddenly to the ground - his chances gone.
Grant went back to check on his rival but fortunately no serious injury was apparent.
The women’s equivalent was also a stirring battle - eventually going to
Wisil had earlier shown her potential in taking the 100 metres in 11.92 (+1.4m/sec wind). The men’s event was won by Duan Daley (NSWIS) with a time of 10.88 (-0.2).
New Zealand athletes demonstrated the benefits of their country’s emphasis on under 23 competition, winning both 200 metres events in that age group – Jeffery Thumath the men’s in 21.64 (+1.8) and Monique Williams the women’s in 23.84 (-1.2).
Victoria’s Benjamin Ashkettle hinted that he might be one to watch for the future in the 3000 metres steeplechase, taking the under 20 event in a strong 9:10.70.
Another man in the Big V, Matt Gibney was similarly impressive in snatching the under 20 800 metres. The Pat Scammell trained athlete recorded 1:51.54.
Lara Nicod (NSW) and Zoe Buckman (ACTAS) had excellent lead ups to next weekend’s Telstra A Series Meeting in Sydney winning their respective women’s 800 metres titles in 2:09.40 and 2:06.18 respectively.
In other field events action, the better performances came from NSW under 20 athletes Rhys Murphy who won the high jump at 2.11m, Laura Conford, the javelin with 54.48m and Natalie Prior the hammer with 52.20m
Jacinta Boyd (QAS) celebrated her 21st birthday with gold in the under 23 long jump, winning by just one centimetre with 6.08 metres from Kiwi, Jessica Penney.
The Championships continue at the Domain on Sunday morning followed in the afternoon by the Australian Clubs Championships.
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