National 10,000m record-holder Collis Birmingham has stamped his claim on a berth at next year’s Commonwealth Games with victory in tonight’s 10,000m national championship race and selection trial for the New Delhi squad at the Zatopek:10 at Melbourne’s Olympic Park.

Crossing the line with an A-qualifying time of 28:04.14, the second A-qualifying mark to Birmingham’s name following his national record-breaking run of 27:29.73 in the USA in April, the 24-year-old Victorian tonight added the 2010 national 10,000m championship to his 2008 crown.

Joined by reigning champion David McNeill, world championships marathon representative Martin Dent and distance identities Michael Shelley, Ben St Lawrence and Jeff Hunt in the race for the line it was a four-man race when defending champion McNeill dropped off the pace inside the 3000m-mark.

With two laps to go Birmingham turned on the burners, dominating the final 800m in a race against time to secure the A-qualifying mark.

“It was good to get the time a long way out from (the Games), I can start to focus on the rest of the domestic season and hopefully have a choice of what I want to do at the end,” Birmingham said.

Birmingham, who took on the 5000m/10,000m double at the world championships in Berlin in August, said he would look to a less demanding program at next year’s Games.

“You won't see me doing the 10km and another event but maybe the 5km and a 1500m,” Birmingham said.

“I’m not sure of the program but the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne was a great opportunity to do the 5km at the start of the week and the 1500m on the Friday/Saturday with plenty of rest (in between), so I think that’s possible.”

Birmingham was followed across the line by St. Lawrence (28:05.73), Shelley (28:13.13) and Hunt (28:19.39), all within B-qualifying standard.

In the women’s 10,000m national championship race, New South Wales athlete Eloise Wellings reigned victorious over a quality field that featured 2009 national title-holder Lara Tamsett, world championships marathon representative Lisa Weightman and track stalwart Benita Willis.

In just the second 10,000m track hit-out of her career Wellings cut more than two minutes off her previous best (34:25.48 in Melbourne, December 2005) to claim her first Australian title in the Commonwealth Games B-qualifying time of 32:19.08.

“I can't believe it, I’m so emotional,” Wellings said.

“I’ve been training really well but I didn't expect that, that’s for sure. I had nothing to lose, I knew the other girls were in good shape and I just tried to follow them for as long as I could and tried to relax.”

Placing fourth over 5000m at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, Wellings will now turn her attention to Delhi and the pursuit of a medal.

“The 10km would be incredible in Delhi but I guess I'll have to sit down with my coach and my support team and find out what my best medal chances are because I’m not going for anything else, I’m not going for a tracksuit, I want a medal,” she said.

Sitting with a lead pack of five runners that featured Weightman, Tamsett, Wellings and 2008 City to Surf winner and NCAA cross country runner Rebecca Lowe across the 25-lap journey, Wellings stepped it up a gear in the last 200m to take victory ahead of a fast-finishing Weightman (32:20.14), who overtook Tamsett (32:20.39) in the dying stages to sneak into second place.  

Lowe (32:24.70), Chapple (32:29.92) and Victorian local Cassie Fien (33:16,16) took to six the number of athletes crossing the line within B-qualifying standard.  
 
In the field, world discus champion Dani Samuels made a winning return to domestic competition with victory in her world title-winning event. Samuels’ 59.94m secured the win and a seventh A-qualifying performance for the New South Wales athlete, placing ahead of rising star Kim Mulhall (NSW) with 50.48m.

But it was in-form Victorian Dale Stevenson who stole the show in the throws circle, posting his second Commonwealth Games A-qualifying result for the week with a best effort of 19.23m in the men’s shot put. The mark follows Stevenson’s 19.66m launch on Sunday, staking a determined claim for Games selection.  

“It's fantastic to get another ‘A’ out at this time of the year, it really takes the pressure off towards the domestic season,” Stevenson said.

“I’ll do another heavy block of base training over Christmas and the new year and then really look to burst onto the scene when the domestic season starts and hopefully crack the 20m before too long.”

World youth championships representative Damien Birkinhead (Vic) notched a Commonwealth Games B-qualifying mark in the event with a throw of 16.76m.

In other highlights:

–    National Under 20 3000m record-holder Ryan Gregson posted a meet record 8:02.56 (previously 8:02.94) to take out the Under 20 3000m in one of his final outings as a junior athlete.

–    Australian Flame athlete Youcef Abdi blitzed the field in the 3000m steeplechase, crossing the line in 8:45.08 to take victory by more than 30 seconds over his nearest rival.

–    Fifteen-time national champions and Australian Flame representative Tamsyn Lewis (Vic) continued her foray into the 400m hurdles with a run of 58.51 to snatch line honours.

The domestic season continues in January, 2010.

Athletics Australia – NEWS