Athletics Australia – News – Australia clocks 43.69 to ensure IAAF world championships selection

Australia has today added a fourth relay team to its IAAF world championships bound team after the women’s 4x100m squad clocked 43.69 at the Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki (JAP).

Well below the 44 seconds needed to confirm their Australian Flame selection, today’s time is a massive improvement for Sally Pearson, Charlotte Van Veenendaal, Laura Whaler and Melissa Breen after disappointingly clocking 44.02 at the Sydney Track Classic in March.

“You have no idea how excited we are,” Pearson said.

“It took so long for the time to appear on the big screen but once we knew were just jumping, screaming and hugging on the back straight.

“Today was the last chance we had to clock the qualifier and we did it – bring on Daegu.”

Highlighting Athletics Australia’s continued work in the development of a strong relay program; the addition of the women’s 4x100m team this afternoon ensures a green and gold charge in all four relays at the IAAF world championships for the first time since Paris in 2003.

“Australia’s targeted relay strategy is starting to pay dividends with the successful qualification of all four relay teams,” Eric Hollingsworth, Athletics Australia High Performance Manager, said.

“It’s good to see the hard work of so many paying off and I congratulate the girls on an impressive run this afternoon.”

Japan A were the eventual winners of the race in a national record time of 43.39, with Japan B third in 44.62.

In other track highlights:

–          Australian champion Brendan Cole won the men’s 400m hurdles in a season best time of 49.60. His time today is a mere 0.20 seconds off the IAAF world championships qualifier.

–          Lauren Boden, who trains with Cole under the guidance of Matt Beckenham, made it two wins from two starts in Japan in the past week after clocking 55.86 to take out the women’s 400m hurdles.

–          Edged out by American Alexandria Anderson (1^st, 11.28), Melissa Breen returned to the track after her relay run for third (11.56, w: -0.4) in the women’s 100m.

–          James Kaan, who won his first Australian 800m title three weeks ago, placed second (1:47.25) in the men’s 800m, with compatriot James Gurr fourth in 1:48.54.

–          Aaron Rouge-Serret, the national 100m and 200m champion, clocked 10.42 (w: -0.8) for second behind Stawell Gift starter and 2003 world champion Kim Collins (10.40) in the men’s 100m.

–          Crossing the line in 39.53, the Australian men’s 4x100m relay team placed fifth behind the home team Japan, who took victory in a time of 38.78.

–          Matt Davies (20.93, w: -0.1), Sean Wroe (21.55) and Kevin Moore (21.77) placed 4^th, 6^th and 7^th respectively in the men’s 200m.

Beginning his 2011 international campaign in Japan, world and world indoor championships bronze medallist Mitchell Watt soared 8.07m (w: +0.9) for second in the men’s long jump.

Edged out for the win by Tyrone Smith (BER, 8.09m, w: +1.2) in the last round, Watt was joined on the runway by Robbie Crowther who leapt and impressive 8.03m (w: +1.2), two centimetres shy of his personal best, for 4^th.

In other field highlights:

–          Kerrie Perkins (6.34m, w: +2.2), Jessica Penney (6.15m, w: +1.9) and Linda Allen (6.12m, w: +1.2) were 5^th, 6^th and 7^th respectively in the women’s long jump. The event was won by Saeko Okayama (JPN, 6.61m).

–          Australian based pole vaulter Sergey Kucheryanu cleared 5.45m for second behind Japan’s Daichi Sawano (5.60m) in the men’s pole vault.

–          Local hero Yukifumi Murakami, the 2009 world championships bronze medallist and 2009 Asian champion, took victory the men’s javelin throw with a 82.90m best mark.

The Golden Grand Prix concludes a three-meet series in Japan, with Australia’s best now set to battle it out at Round 2 of the Diamond League in Shanghai (CHN) on May 15.

 Athletics Australia – News