Athletics Australia – News – Kiprop bolsters amazing 800m field at Sydney Track Classic

The Sydney Track Classic on Saturday, March 19 is only five days away and with the announcement of Asbel Kiprop to the men’s 800m field it is fast becoming the most exciting meet of the Australian Athletics Tour.

Adding additional intrigue to an already outstanding start list, Kiprop will line up alongside countrymen and world record holder David Rudisha as well as Australian national champion Lachlan Renshaw for two hot laps.

Kiprop, the Olympic 1500m champion, only on occasion lines up for the 800m but his record in the event is not something to ignore. Setting a personal best of 1:43.17, he was narrowly defeated in Qatar by the then world number one Abubaker Kaki (SUD) in 2009 before last year almost taking it up to Rudisha at the Doha instalment of the Diamond League, where he clocked 1:43.45 to place second by a mere 0.45 seconds.

Making a triumphant return to the Australian Athletics Tour at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic only ten days ago, Rudisha’s 800m resume speaks for itself. He broke the world record twice in 2010 to see it currently stand at 1:41.01 before later in the year becoming African champion.

With a major championship title still eluding the Australian all-comers record holder (1:43.15), his quest in 2011 is clear – win at the IAAF world championships or be left disappointed.

“Having the world record and not the world title, it just doesn’t sound good,” Rudisha said.

The Australian flag will be flown by national champion Lachlan Renshaw.

Bursting into the top ten on the Australian All-Time list at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, Renshaw made the final at the Commonwealth Games last October before being forced to withdraw as a result of injury. His new personal best of 1:45.66 is a mere 0.26 seconds shy of the IAAF world championships qualifier and that is what he will be chasing once the gun sounds on Saturday night.

A five-stop national tour, the 2011 Australian Athletics Tour boasts four divisions (sprints/hurdles, distance, throws, jumps) with male and female athletes in different events pitted against each other in the race for the largest prize purse in Australian athletics history.

The Sydney Track Classic is the last leg of the tour before the Tour Final in Perth, with domestic athletes on the hunt for strong point scores lining up alongside a bounty of international talent that includes America’s number one discus thrower Becky Briesch, triple Olympic gold medallist Angelo Taylor and US sprinting sensations Mikele ‘Miki’ Barber and Monica Hargrove.

To download the timetable and current entry lists please click here.

2011 Australian Athletics Tour

Round 4: Sydney Track Classic – Saturday March 19, 2011
Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final Perth: Thursday March 31 – Friday April 1, 2011

Sydney Track Classic

Sydney Olympic Park
6:00pm – Saturday, March 19 2011

Tickets are now on sale via the event website – www.sydneytrackclassic.com

In a first for Australian athletics, the Sydney Track Classic and upcoming Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final in Perth will be streamed live on www.wcsn.com.au

 

Athletics Australia – News