Tristan Thomas Treat for Briggs Athletics Classic in 2014
27 Jan 2014
Tasmania’s most internationally successful current athlete, Tristan Thomas [PB 45.86] has confirmed that he will make a rare Australian circuit appearance over 400 metres at the 2014 Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart on Saturday.
The 2009 World Championships 4x400m relay bronze medallist usually reserves his Australian appearances for the 400 metres hurdles but the opportunity has arisen for him to run the event at which he has arguably been more successful.
His stunning last leg in the heats of last year’s Worlds’ long relay lifted Australia into an unexpected finals berth and reminded the athletics world of his prowess on the flat which has delivered him a world bronze, world university gold and silver and another world finals berth in the 4x400m.
Australia’s continuing capacity to mould world class 4x400m teams and its status as the reigning Commonwealth Games champions means that there is again a focus on the event this year.
After the 27 year old Tasmanian’s superb effort in Moscow he is now the team anchor but with the hurdles remaining his individual target, he needs to carefully choose the meets at which he can again put his name up in lights for relay selection.
As a result the 25th anniversary edition of the Briggs Classic is the winner and will see one of its favourite sons take on some of the rising stars on the national scene including Sam Reiser [PB 47.10] and William McNamara [PB 47.41].
Whilst the 400 metres will provide a fine opening to the meet, its now traditional conclusion will take the form of another fine men’s 5000 metres.
Again it has drawn an international field to take on leading Australians Ben St Lawrence [PB 13:10.08], Liam Adams [13.31.21] and late entry Harry Summers [PB 13.34.58].
Emerging talent fromIreland (Paul Robinson and Mark Hanrahan), New Zealand (Malcolm Hicks) and Sweden (Micke Ekvall and Olle Wallerang) will each make its way to Hobart to a meet which has become an early year mecca for distance runners looking for a breakthrough early in the year in the usually cooler and calmer conditions of a Hobart summer evening.
Wallerang has the current best time of the group [13.34.74] right now but each will be hoping that the journey south will produce a new personal mark.
Event Facts – Men’s 400 metres:
Meet Record: Patrick Dwyer (NSW) 45.85 [30 January 2000]
Commonwealth Games A Standard: 45.30
Commonwealth Games B Standard: 45.85
World Junior Championships AUS Standard: 47.25
Event Facts – Men’s 5000 metres:
Meet Record: Collis Birmingham (Vic) 13:15.57 [4 February 2012]
Commonwealth Games A Standard: 13:20.00
Commonwealth Games B Standard: 13:35.00
World Junior Championships AUS Standard: 14:15.00
The 2014 Briggs Athletics Classic, the third leg of the 2013-14 National Athletics Series will be staged at the Domain Athletic Centre in Hobart on Saturday 1 February with the main program beginning at 6.00pm.
The Meet will be preceded by the Tasmanian Little Athletics Relay Championships from 11.00am to 3.30pm and from 4.45pm onwards the meet pre-program featuring the inaugural Little Athletics Swedish relay championships, the Australian Masters internet 4x400m relay match and the Briggs Classic men’s hammer throw.
Tickets are available via Centertainment, through athletics clubs or at the gate. Adults - $15; Children (under 16) - $5; children under 6, competing athletes and little athletes – free.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact Brian Roe, Executive Officer at Athletics Tasmania:
m: +61 (0) 438 604 571