Athletics Australia – News – Melbourne Preview

We run the ruler over the start lists for the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge in our exclusive event-by-event preview.

Pole Vault Men 3:30PM

Meet Record: 5.82m Steve Hooker (WAIS) 2008

National Record:  6.06m Steve Hooker (WA) 2009

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  5.60m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  5.25m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  5.05m

The Lowdown:  One man has dominated the men’s pole vault this season, with reigning Australian champion Joel Pocklington of Victoria having registered no less than seven B-Qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games.  He is the only person to have logged a qualifier for Glasgow and his 5.41m in Newcastle in January leads all Australians in 2014.  His nearest rival this year has been fellow Victorian Brodie Cross who was successful at 5.25m in Melbourne at the start of February.  A third Victorian, Blake Lucas, should also be in the mix with a 5.15m clearance in February as should New Zealander Nick Southgate, who has a PB of 5.15m.

 

Discus Women  – 4:00PM

Meet Record:  66.10m Daniella Costian (QLD1994)

National Record:  68.72m Daniella Costian (QLD) 1994

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  59.50m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  55.25m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  47.57m

The Lowdown: Dani Samuels continues to shine as the leading discus thrower in Australia this season.  She won at her hometown Sydney Track Classic and holds the national lead for 2014 with a season’s best of 65.59m set in Sydney at the start of March.  That is just one of her four A Qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games, and she also has one B.  She is the only Australian athlete to have hurled the platter to the A distance and will be the hot favourite to win in Melbourne.  Two Aussie women have however reached the B standard for Glasgow, with Christie Chamberlain of NSW reaching 56.79m at the Adelaide Track Classic, as well as an additional B in mid-March.  Queenslander Taryn Gollshewsky has also registered one B, with 56.50m in March.  There will also be international interest in the women’s discus in Melbourne with Alifatou Djibril of Togo in the start list owning a PB of 56.16m. 

 

 

Discus Men  – 4:00PM

Meet Record:  63.02m Werner Reiterer (VIC) 1989

National Record:  68.20m Benn Harradine (VIC) 2013

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  64.00m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  57.90m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  55.00m (1.7kg)

The Lowdown: For the first time on the Australian Athletics Tour in 2014 big Benn Harradine will have the chance to strut the stage.  Harradine is the Australian record holder in the men’s discus and leads the nation in 2014 after throwing an A qualifier of 65.24m in Brisbane recently.  Harradine has been a good eight metres better than any other Australian this year and will be the firm favourite in Melbourne.  If a challenge is to come to Harradine, it could be from Shane Loveridge of NSW who has thrown 56.55m this season to sit third on the Australian rankings.  The young gun of Australian throwing, Matthew Denny of Queensland, is also one to watch closely as the 17-year-old has hurled the disc 55.85m this season.   There is also an international in the field with Robert Melin (57.09m) of Sweden set to throw.

 

 

Triple Jump Women  – 4:00PM

Meet Record: 13.77m Nicole Mladenis (WAIS) 2004

National Record:  14.04m Nicole Mladenis (WA) 2002 & 2003

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  14.20m     

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  13.25m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  12.90m

The Lowdown: Australian national triple jump champ Linda Leverton of Queensland will make her 2014 debut on the Australian Athletics Tour when she lines up in Melbourne.  Leverton has two B qualifiers for Glasgow to her name already, including a nation-leading jump of 13.64m at the Adelaide Track Classic in February.  Leverton is second on the Australian all-time list with a PB of 13.82m and has been eyeing off the national record of 14.04m for some time now.  New Zealander Nneka Okpala should provide some strong competition for Leverton, having hit the sand 13.08m from the board this year. 

 

 

Shot Put Men 4:00PM

Meet Record: 21.26m Scott Martin (VIS) 2008

National Record:  21.26m Scott Martin (VIC) 2008

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 20.10m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  18.15m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  18.42m (6kg)

The Lowdown: Damien Birkinhead of Victoria seized the national lead in the men’s shot put in March after heaving the lead 18.67m in Melbourne.  That was good enough for a B qualifier for Glasgow, and he has a further two B’s up his sleeve as well to be the only Aussie male to have reached either of the Commonwealth standards.  He will go into the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge as the local favourite but the seven-man field also includes Matthew Cowie of WA who has a throw of 17.31m to his credit in 2014, as well as Courtney Heinze (16.80m in 2014).  The man with the longest PB in the contest however will be New Zealander Tom Walsh, who threw 21.26m in Sopot to win the bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships recently.  

 

400m Ambulant Men – 4:20PM

The Lowdown:  The men’s 400m Ambulant race for para-athletes should be an interesting clash.  Headlining the field is Simon Patmore, who is a former Commonweath champion in the 100m in his T46 class as well as a bronze medallist at the 200m distance at both the 2011 IPC World Championships and 2012 London Paralympic Games.  Sam Harding of WA is also in the field and will be worth keeping a close eye on.  Harding finished fifth at the 2011 IPC World Championships at the longer 800m distance in the T13 class and should challenge Patmore. 

 

 

3000m Steeplechase Women – 4:30PM

Meet Record: 9:29.93 Donna MacFarlane (TAS) 2008

National Record: 9:18.35 Donna MacFarlane (TAS) 2008

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  9:40.00

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard: 10:02.00

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 10:28.00

The Lowdown:  Two Aussies have registered B qualifiers for Glasgow in the women’s steeplechase so far this season.  Victoria Mitchell of NSW ran 9:46.98 in Sydney at the beginning of March to better Kate Spencer’s (NSW) previous national lead of 9:53.15 set four days earlier in the same city.    A third New South Welshman, Madeline Heiner, has also run 10.03.94 this year and should be in the mix. Olympian Genevieve LaCaze has a lifetime best of 9.37.62 which ranks her number four all-time Australian in the event and you can expect to see her in the leading pack following her return form injury.

 

 

100m Hurdles 5:18PM

Meet Record:  12.49 Sally Pearson (QLD) 2012

National Record:  12.28 Sally Pearson (QLD) 2011

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  13.10

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  13.33

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  13.94

The Lowdown:  Fresh from winning a silver medal at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland, Sally Pearson will take the track in her pet event of the 100m hurdles in Melbourne.  The Queenslander is one of the superstars of the sport and will be the hands-down favourite in this event following the late withdrawal of the woman who beat her to the gold in Sopot, Nia Ali. Her closest Australian rival this season has been Shannon McCann of WA.  McCann ran a PB of 13.15 at the Perth Track Classic behind Pearson’s 12.59 and has two B Qualifiers to her name. Michelle Jenneke of NSW is another to watch closely.  ‘The Dancing Hurdler’ as she is known has run a new PB of 13.34 this season to be ranked third nationally behind Pearson and McCann.

 

 

110m Hurdles Men – 5:28PM

Meet Record: 13:24 Colin Jackson (GBR) 1996 & 1999

National Record:  13.29 Kyle Vander-Kuyp (VIC) 1995

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  13.50

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  13.91

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 13.99

The Lowdown:  Reigning World Champion David Oliver of the US was impressive at the Sydney Track Classic last weekend clocking a world lead of 13.38 in the men’s 110m hurdles.  Oliver, always the showman, then delighted the crowd by ripping his singlet off as part of his post-race celebrations and showing just why he is known as the ‘Big Rig’.  Behind Oliver in Sydney were local talents Nick Hough (NSW, second, 13.65) and Sam Baines (VIC, third, 13.69) who both posted PBs chasing the big Americans. The pair each have multiple B qualifiers for Glasgow (Hough with four and Baines three) and now have the A standard of 13.50 in their sights.  Another American, Joel Brown, has a PB of 13.20 and could also be nipping at Oliver’s heels.

 

 

Long Jump Men 5:30PM

Meet Record: 8.30 Peter Burge (NSWIS) 2000

National Record:  8.54m Mitchell Watt (QLD) 2011

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  8.10m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  7.70m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  7.55m

The Lowdown:  Two of Australia’s best long jumpers go head-to-head in the pit when Fabrice Lapierre clashes with Henry Frayne in Melbourne.  Lapierre is a former World Indoor Champion and has just returned from Sopot where he leapt 7.76m but failed to make the final.  That was only narrowly behind his season’s best of 7.79 (also indoors) and with a PB of 8.40m Lapierre is a threat in any competition.  Frayne sits equal sixth on the Australian all-time list with a PB of 8.27m but is coming off an injury-riddled 2013. Himself a World Indoor silver medallist, Frayne has yet to jump this season so it will be interesting to see where he’s at.  The current Australian leader is Tim McGuire of SA, who has leapt 7.94m this season for a B standard.  McGuire will also be in the field for Melbourne, as will be Thomas Soliman of Queensland who also has a Glasgow B qualifier to his name in 2014.

 

 

adidas 100m Men  – 5:37PM

Meet Record:  10.05 Asafa Powell (JAM) 2008

National Record:  9.93 Patrick Johnson (ACT) 2003

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 10.18

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard: 10.23

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 10.55

The Lowdown:  Jamaica is the home of so many talented sprinters that sub-10 runners seem to be a dime a dozen sometimes.  Mario Forsythe certainly isn’t Jamaica’s most high profile sprint export, but he has still run a 9.95 during his career.  That will provide some quality opposition to Australian sprinter Tim Leathart, who won the Sydney Track Classic 100m in the time of 10.29.  Also in the field will be Jake Hammond of NSW who ran 10.38 behind Jarrod Geddes in Perth, Joel Bee, who ran 10.44 into a headwind in Melbourne earlier this year and Tom Gamble of Queensland who has a 10.42 on the board this year.

 

 

200m Women  – 5:44PM

Meet Record: 22.54 Cathy Freeman (VIC) 1993

National Record: 22.23 Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (NSW) 1997

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 23.05

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  23.40

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 24.11

The Lowdown:  With both Melissa Breen and Sally Pearson electing to bypass the 200m in Melbourne, Ella Nelson of NSW appears to be the leading local runner in the field.  Nelson has a season’s best of 23.26 set in Sydney last weekend which is just one of her three B standard runs in 2014.  She will have her work cut out for her however as the startlist includes US sprinter Natasha Hastings.  Whilst primarily a 400m runner, Hastings has a PB of 22.61 over the half-lap distance and will be the clear favourite as they line up in the blocks.  Toea Wisil of PNG (PB 23.46) ran 23.81 in Sydney last week and could also be in calculations with the Australians.

 

 

1500m Men  – 5:51PM

Meet Record: 3:32.55 William Chirchir (KEN) 2000

National Record: 3:31.06 Ryan Gregson (NSW) 2010

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  3:37.00

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  3:40.75

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 3:47.00

The Lowdown:  Majestic Kenyan James Magut showed his class in winning the men’s 1500m event at the Sydney Track Classic.  Magut ran 3:38.58 and in the process helped Australian Jeff Riseley of the VIS to run a 3:38.90 B qualifier for Glasgow.  Whilst Reisley won’t be running here in Melbourne, the only other Australian to have reached a B standard, Collis Birmingham, will.  Birmingham has run faster than any other Australian over 1500m this year, clocking a 3:38.7 in Perth.  Irishman Paul Robinson of Ireland (PB 3:35.22) and Hamish Carson of New Zealand (3:38.04) will also be racing ensuring a fast pace.  Magut’s countryman, Andrew Rotich, will also be in the race with his PB of 3.43.43.

 

 

Javelin Women 6:00PM

Meet Record:  63.52m Tanje Damaske (GER) 1996

National Record:  66.80m Louise Currey (NSW) 2000

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  60.00m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard: 53.00m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  49.00m

The Lowdown:  A trio of Australian ‘Spear Sisters’ will lead the field in the women’s javelin in Melbourne.  Currently, three Australians are one, two and three in the IAAF world rankings and all three will be letting the jav fly in Melbourne.  Top of the list is 2013 IAAF World Championship silver medal winner Kim Mickle of WA.  Mickle threw 66.12m in Adelaide earlier this year to just edge out rival Kathryn Mitchell’s 66.10m throw.  Mitchell’s effort in Adelaide sees her hold the number two world ranking currently while Kelsey-Lee Roberts of the ACT is world number three due to her 63.92m throw in Canberra in February.  Any of the trio could potentially win in Melbourne and it is quite possible that Louise Currey’s celebrations around her Hall of Fame induction on Thursday might end prematurely on Saturday if one of the three manage to get a hold of a big throw and break her 14-year-old Australian record.  This might well be the best event of the competition.

 

 

400m Hurdles Men – 7:55PM

Meet Record: 48.49 Bryan Bronson (USA) 1998

National Record:  48.28 Rohan Robinson (VIC) 1996

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  49.20 

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  50.15

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  52.32

The Lowdown:  In a thrilling race in Sydney last weekend, Ian Dewhurst of NSWIS just managed to beat Olympian Tristan Thomas of Tasmania for the narrow win in the men’s 400m hurdles.  Dewhurst stopped the clock at 50.09 while Thomas registered 50.15.  The pair is set for an exciting rematch in Melbourne, and will also face off against Japanese hurdler Kazuaki Yoshida, who has a quick PB of 48.09.  New Zealander Michael Cochrane, who was the surprise winner of the men’s 400m hurdles at the ‘Go For 2&5’ Perth Track Classic in new PB of 49.72 should also be a contender.

 

 

400m Hurdles Women 6:11PM

Meet Record:  54.64 Jana Pittman (VIS) 2003

National Record:  53.17 Debbie Flintoff-King (VIC) 1988

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  56.00

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  57.35

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  59.75

The Lowdown: Lauren Wells (formerly Boden) has been the top Australian runner over the quarter sticks for quite some time and she is the only athlete to have thus far registered a qualifier for Glasgow.  Wells has two B’s to her name this year, including the national lead of 56.56 set in Perth in mid-February.  Her closest Australian competitor has been the second ranked Jess Gulli of Victoria, who has a time of 57.39 this year.  Lyndsay Pekin of WA is also in this race and is currently ranked third in the nation with her time of 57.80 run behind Gulli in Perth.

 

 

High Jump Women 6:15PM

Meet Record:  1.95m Alison Inverarity (WAIS) 1995

National Record:  1.98m Alison Inverarity (WA) 1994 & Vanessa Browne-Ward 1989

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  1.92m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  1.83m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  1.82m

The Lowdown:  The women’s high jump has no less than seven Australian athletes that have either an A or B qualifier for Glasgow this season and six of those are jumping in Melbourne.  Leading the pack is reigning World Youth Champion Eleanor Patterson of Victoria.  Patterson turned heads at the Australian All-Schools Championships late last year when she cleared 1.96m to move into third on the Australian all-time list.  That gave her the A standard for Glasgow and she also has an additional five B’s to her name.  Amy Pejkovic (NSW – 1.87m), Hannah Joye (QLD – 1.86m), Nicola McDermott (NSW – 1.86m), Zoe Timmers (WA – 1.86m) and Ashleigh Reid (OLD – 1.83m) have all also registered at least one B and will be on the apron in Melbourne.  The presence of New Zealanders Sarah Cowley (1.91m PB) and Liz Lamb (1.90m) should ensure a great competition.

 

 

5000m Men – 6:18PM

Meet Record: 13:08.43 Bernard Legat (USA) 2011

National Record:  12:55.76 Craig Mottram (VIC) 2004

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 13:20.00

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  13:35.00

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  14:15.00

The Lowdown:  Ben St Lawrence currently leads all Australians over the 5km journey on the track, having run a time of 13.31.56 in Hobart at the start of February.  That effort makes him the lone Australian to have reached the B standard for Glasgow and should ensure he carries the Australian hopes on his shoulders in Melbourne.  He will have some stiff opposition however as the field includes Kenyan Isiah Koech, who has a PB over 5000m of 12:48.64 and was the bronze medallist in this event at the IAAF World Championships in 2013.  The battle between the pair should ensure a thrilling men’s 5000m in Melbourne. 

 

 

Shot Put Women 6.20PM

Meet Record: 20.13 Valerie Adams (NZL) 2011

National Record:  19.74 Gael Martin (VIC) 1984

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 17.20m

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  15.50m

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  14.32m

The Lowdown:  One of the most successful field athletes in history will take to the circle in Melbourne for the women’s shot put, with New Zealander Valerie Adams set to throw.  Adams has won two Olympic titles, four World Championships, three World Indoor Championships and a pair of Commonwealth Games gold medals.  Her most recent success was winning the women’s shot put at the 2014 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Sopot with a throw of 20.67m.  To suggest that Adams is the favourite in Melbourne is therefore somewhat of an understatement.  Australia’s best hope in the event is discus thrower Dani Samuels, who has the national lead this season of 17.05 and may well look to contest both the discus and shot at the Commonwealth Games.

 

 

800m Women – 6:37PM

Meet Record:  1:59.42 Toni Hodgkinson (NZL) & Tamsyn Lewis (VIC) 2000

National Record:  1:59.0 Charlene Rendina (VIC) 1976

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  1:59.35

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  2:02.10

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 2:06.50

The Lowdown:  Reigning world champion Eunice Sum of Kenya leads the field for the women’s 800m in Melbourne.  Sum won the gold medal at the 2013 IAAF World Championships last year in a PB time of 1:57.38.  She also won last weekend at the Sydney Track Classic with a run of 2:01.20 but was pushed by talented Australian youngster Georgia Wassall of NSWIS.  Wassall surprised onlookers with a run of 2:01.78 to become the only Australian woman this season to record a Commonwealth Games B standard. The woman who was the 2014 Australian leader before that run, Brittany McGowan (QLD), ran 2.02.76 in winning at the Adelaide Track Classic in February and will also race in Melbourne as will the reigning Australian 800m champion, Kelly Hetherington of Victoria.

 

 

200m Men – 6:53PM

Meet Record:  20.44 Frankie Fredericks (NAM) 1998

National Record:  20.06 Peter Norman (VIC) 1968

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  20.40

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  20.70

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  21.43

The Lowdown: New South Welshman Jarrod Geddes ran 20.59 in Perth and that performance makes him the only Australian to go under the 21-second mark this year and the only one with a B qualifier for Glasgow.  He will face a serious challenge from the international talent on the start list with Mario Forsythe of Jamaica boasting a PB of 20.27 and American Joel Brown with a 20.54 lifetime best. 

 

adidas 100m Women  – 7:00PM

Meet Record: 11.01 Marion Jones (USA) 1998

National Record: 11.11 Melissa Breen (ACT) 2014

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 11.35

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard: 11.42

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 11.86

The Lowdown:  The Sally Pearson versus Melissa Breen rivalry over 100 metres enters Round Three.  Breen took the opening honours after backing up her new national record of 11.11 in Canberra with her first ever win of Pearson in 30 attempts.  Pearson took Round Two at the Sydney Track Classic last weekend, running 11.29 to Breen’s 11.40 to regain the ascendancy.  Anyone who believes these two great competitors aren’t desperate to win the deciding Round Three in Melbourne on Saturday is kidding themselves.   Both athletes have already racked up three A qualifiers for Glasgow in the 100m and Breen also has an additional B.  The pair look to be in a class of their own in this field and it should ensure a classic confrontation which will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the meet.

 

 

1500m Women 7:08PM

Meet Record: 4:06.23 Toni Hodgkinson (NZL) 2000

National Record: 4:00.93 Sarah Jamieson (VIC) 2006

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard: 4:07.00

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  4:10.75

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard: 4:20.50

The Lowdown:  Victorian Zoe Buckman currently leads all Australians over the four lap race this season after clocking 4:07.56 to win the 1500m at the ‘Go For 2&5’ Perth Track Classic in February.  Buckman you will remember became the first Australian woman ever to make the final of a 1500m race at a world championship when she stormed home to win her semi in Moscow last year.  A fearless racer who seems to like the inside running, Buckman will face a deep field in Melbourne.  Both Kaila McKnight and Melissa Duncan (who each have multiple B qualifiers like Buckman for Glasgow) will be on the start line.  McKnight ran 4:07.92 and Duncan 4:09.13 in Perth.  Also in the field is Kenyan star Mercy Cherono.  Although she won the 5000m silver medal at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last year, Cherono has a PB of 4:02.31 over the 1500m and will be very hard to beat. Susan Kuijken of the Netherlands is also racing and has a PB of 4:05.38 to her name set last year, while Kiwi Nikki Hamblin has a 4:04.82 run to her name.  

 

 

400m Men – 8:09PM

Meet Record:  44.82 Jeremy Wariner (USA) 2008

National Record:  44.38 Darren Clark (NSW) 1988

Commonwealth Games A Qualifying Standard:  45.30

Commonwealth Games B Qualifying Standard:  45.85

2014 World Juniors Qualifying Standard:  47.25

The Lowdown:  Reigning world 400m champion LaShawn Merritt will run his pet event over the quarter mile in Melbourne.  Merritt ran 43.74 to win gold in Moscow at the World Championships last year and is clearly the class of the field.  Craig Burns currently leads the Australian annual rankings with his 46.21 recorded in Perth and will also run in Melbourne. 

 Providing additional interest will be the first appearance of 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Steffensen over his favourite distance.  Steffensen dabbled with the 800m in Sydney with a handy run of 1:50.08 but returns to the event which he made the World Championship final in in 2005.

 

Athletics Australia – News