Tasmanian's Perform Proudly on Day 1


29 Feb 2008

Tasmania sent a team of 11 off to Brisbane for this weeks Selection Trials and 86th Australian Athletics Championships.

 

Day 1 of competition concluded last night, with each Tasmanian performing admirably as all progressed to their next round of competition.

 

Hobart’s Grant Page was first to take to the track.  The 26 year old has been a regular at the Australian Athletics Championships, however had previously made the Open Men’s 1500m final only once.  Yesterday, Page finished 4th in the first heat, which was won by Kenyan Bernard Kiptum in 3.48.59.  Page’s time of 3.49.60, though not fast, was enough to get him in the 12 man final that will be on tonight at 7:50pm (AEST).

 

AIS based athlete Tristan Thomas took out the third and final heat of the Men’s 400m Hurdles, in 51.03.  It gave Thomas the fastest time in qualifying by almost a full second, as the man he defeated by 1/100th second in Melbourne last week, Brendan Cole, did not take to the blocks.  The Men’s 400m Hurdles final is on at 7:42pm (AEST) tonight.

 

North West Sprinters Mel Kay and Morgan Whiley also progressed through in their respective pet events.  Kay ran 11.78 (+1.2) to place third and automatically qualify for tonights Women 100m semi final at 7:10pm (AEST).  Kay will be looking to make the final and finished in a place that will give her the ammunition required to push for a relay berth at this year Beijing Olympics.

 

For Whiley, it was a matter of waiting to see if she was a fastest qualifier into tonights Women’s 400m Final.  Running in the third and final heat, the TIS athlete had to better the time of 54.88 set by Commonwealth Games representative Rosemary Hayward.  Whiley’s time of 54.61, was just enough to get her a lane in tonights final at 8:00pm (AEST).

 

After breaking the Tasmanian Open Javelin record last week at the World Athletics Tour meeting in Melbourne, Hamish Peacock threw 69.53 to qualify for the 12 man final tonight at 7:45pm (AEST).

 

Carmen Miller also progressed in the women’s Triple Jump, rounding out an almost flawless day for Tasmanian athletes.  Miller leaped 12.54m to get a birth in Saturday’s final at 4:40pm (AEST).

 

Tonight will see action packed night of Athletics at the Selection Trials and 86th Australian Athletics Championships, with Olympic selection up for grabs.  To automatically qualify, athletes need to win the Australian Championship and post 2 A qualifiers.  Donna MacFarlane will line up in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase at 8:08pm (AEST) and if she wins, will automatically book her seat on flight Beijing 2008.

 

Launceston’s Kate Pedley and Devonports Nicole Perry run in the Women’s 800m heats today.  Todd Hodgetts will also perform in the Men’s Shot Put and Graham Hicks in the Men’s Discus.

 

For live results and listen to live commentary of events, log onto www.athletics.com.au.