Athletics Australia – News – London to recapture the spirit of 2012 at Sainsbury\’s Anniversary Games

Twenty talented Australians will battle it out in London (GBR) this weekend, as the Olympic & Paralympic Stadium once again plays host to the world at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games.

Celebrating one year since Great Britain hosted an outstanding summer of sport, competition on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July will double as Round 11 of the IAAF Diamond League before para-athletes reclaim centre stage on Sunday 28 July.

Representing the green and gold on the track this weekend in able-bodied competition are Kelly Hetherington (Vic), Zoe Buckman (ACT), Jackie Areson (Qld), Sally Pearson (Qld) and Lauren Boden (ACT).

Hetherington, who is the national 800m champion, will line up in the women’s 800m on her road to Moscow. Buckman will battle it out in the women’s 1500m as she looks to improve on her season best run of 4:05.91 from the Oxy High Performance Meet in Los Angeles (USA), while Areson, who was formally recognised as an Australian by the IAAF last month, will be keen to deliver a second consecutive strong performance after she clocked a personal best 15:12.09 to stake her claim for selection in the women’s 5000m at the Areva Meeting in Paris (FRA). The Olympic champion Pearson and Boden, who ran her a personal best of 55.08 last week, will compete in the women’s 100m hurdles and women’s 400m hurdles respectively.

Basing herself in Cologne (GER), Hetherington has for the past two months relished the opportunity to properly prepare for her first IAAF World Championships by living as a full-time athlete and regularly competing against the best in the world.

She hopes that the pace at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games delivers a fast time to cap off what has been a strong preparation, in turn providing the ideal confidence boost before moving into the Australian Flame Team Camp in Tonbridge (GBR) from next week.

“I’ve had the most amazing experience this year, coming to Europe to be just an athlete, where training and racing are your only goals, has opened my eyes to the possibilities and introduced me to so many new things that will make be a better runner in the long run,” Hetherington said.

“The vibe of it all is so different to Australia and I think that I now know how to race, rather than simply leading from the front. This weekend I hope that the pace is quick and that the girls go with it. If we can do that I am confident that the time will be a good one, perhaps a PB. I’m in shape and I just need to find myself in a field that is keen to have a real crack.

“This is my Olympic opportunity in so many ways. After missing London 2012, this will be the biggest race of my career and give me a taste of what it must have been like to be there last year. The crowd will be huge and the atmosphere is going to be amazing.”

Meanwhile in the field Brandon Starc (NSW), Fabrice Lapierre (NSW), Benn Harradine (Qld), Kim Mickle (WA) and Kathryn Mitchell (Vic) will all compete.

Starc will compete in the men’s high jump after only days ago jumping 2.25m, his second biggest height ever, at a competition in Cologne (GER), as Lapierre, who is A-Qualified for the IAAF World Championships, starts in the men’s long jump and Benn Harradine (Qld) takes to the circle for the men’s discus throw to continue a season that includes a new Australian record of 68.20m. Mickle and Mitchell will both compete in the women’s javelin, with Mickle recording a top-three finish on every occasion she has competed so far this year and Mitchell now laying claim to two IAAF World Championships B-Qualifiers.

Competing for the first time in the Olympic & Paralympic Stadium on Sunday is Sam Carter (Qld), with the 21-year-old not a part of the Australian Paralympic Team last year. He will compete in the T54 wheelchair 200m after yesterday crossing the line in 26.02 to place 6th in the final of the event at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships.

“My race in Lyon was the best of my major championship career, it was just great to mix it with the best in the business. To be honest I didn’t expect to be there after my heat and it was my first World Championships final. I was really psyched to be out there,” Carter said.

“This weekend will be another big step forward for me. I missed the Paralympic Team last year, and I have never been to the stadium before nor raced in front of a crowd that big. It’s an unbelievable prospect. Every race is a step in the right direction for Rio, so I can’t wait to get out there and hopefully improve once more.”

Carter’s Australian Flame teammates from the IPC Athletics World Championships of Rosemary Little (NSW), Brayden Davidson (SA), Brad Scott (WA), Scott Reardon (NSW), Gabriel Cole (SA), Simon Patmore (Qld), Matt Cameron (Qld), Richard Nicholson (ACT) and Jake Lappin (Vic) will join him on the track.

To view and download compete entry lists from Round 11 of the IAAF Diamond League, please click here.

To view and download complete entry lists from the Para-Athletics Program on Sunday 28 July, please click here.

Round 11 of the IAAF Diamond League will be LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on EUROSPORT (Channel 511) on Saturday 27 July at 5:00am AEST and 11:59pm AEST.

Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games
London, Great Britain
26-28 July 2013
Event: Athlete (State) – event time in AEST

Day 1 – IAAF Diamond League
800m: Kelly Hetherington (Vic) – 5:56am AEST, Saturday 27 July
1500m: Zoe Buckman (ACT) – 5:36am AEST, Saturday 27 July
3000m: Jackie Areson (Qld) – 5:15am AEST, Saturday 27 July
400m Hurdles: Lauren Boden (ACT) – 5:04am AEST, Saturday 27 July
High Jump: Brandon Starc (NSW) – 5:09am AEST, Saturday 27 July
Discus Throw: Benn Harradine (Qld) – 4:00am AEST, Saturday 27 July

Day 2 – IAAF Diamond League
100m Hurdles: Sally Pearson (Qld) – 11:11pm AEST, Saturday 27 July
Long Jump: Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) – 11:00pm AEST, Saturday 27 July
Javelin Throw: Kim Mickle (WA), Kathryn Mitchell (Vic) – 12:31am AEST, Sunday 28 July

Day 3 – Para-Athletics Program
T34 100m: Rosemary Little (NSW) – 12:16am AEST – Monday 29 July
T36 100m: Brayden Davidson (SA) – 12:38am AEST, Monday 29 July
T36/37 800m: Brad Scott (WA) – 12:53am AEST, Monday 29 July
T42 200m: Scott Reardon (NSW) – 1:23am AEST, Monday 29 July
T46 100m: Gabriel Cole (SA), Simon Patmore (Qld) – 12:41am, Monday 29 July
T54 200m: Matt Cameron (Qld), Sam Carter (Qld) – 11:58pm AEST, Sunday 28 July
T54 Mile: Richard Nicholson (ACT), Jake Lappin (Vic) – 2:14am AEST, Monday 29 July