Athletics Australia – News – NATIONALS: Boden stakes claim for selection, as 100m men tease fans

Lauren Boden (ACT) has staked her claim for Australian Flame selection after clocking an unrivalled IAAF World Championships B-Qualifier to win her women’s 400m hurdles heat very convincingly at the Qantas Australian Athletics Championships.

Surging from lane seven, and making light work of the stagger on the back straight, Boden entered the straight clear by the distance between hurdles before putting her foot down to charge home and across the line in 56.31.

Boden’s run has ensured she will enter the final on Sunday as a clear favourite. It highlights a continuing rise in form after just four races to date in 2013 and provides a confident boost ahead of a campaign tailored toward delivering at the IAAF World Championships.

“I wanted to make the most of the good conditions today and get the job done. Your can never really predict what is going to happen with the weather and it was important to have a crack. I don’t think I have ever been this happy about a time that starts with 56 in my life,” Boden said.

“I watched my race from Melbourne because it felt like a great race but the time wasn’t there. I knew I had to concentrate on my technique and pattern because if you focus on time it doesn’t happen, but to see the clock when I crossed was a real relief.

“It’s hard to know what this year could bring. I carried an injury into London and have spent four months off after London getting it right. My focus this year has been peaking for World Championships, so to get the time I need to qualify early is great and its onward and upward from here.”

In the men’s event, Ian Dewhurst (NSW) moves into the final as the fastest qualifier after winning heat two in a time of 50.36.

Olympic semi-finalist Tristan Thomas (Tas), who has an IAAF World Championships B-Qualifier, sits just behind him after winning his heat in 50.77, with Felipe De Castro Cruz (WA) next fastest in 52.86.

The rounds of the men’s 100m delivered a tantalizing taste of what’s to come in the semi-final and final tomorrow with each of the contenders making their opening statements this afternoon.

Sharing first with Tom Gamble (NSW) in heat one was Tim Leathart (NSW), the fastest man in Australia this year, with the duo crossing in 10.51 (w: +1.7). Leathart and Gamble were followed in heat two by Australian 100m and 200m champion Josh Ross (Vic), with his finish time of 10.39 (w: +1.2) the second fastest advance mark.

“I thought about having a crack today with these conditions but the central nervous system hadn’t really woken up as well as I wanted to, but I am confident ahead of the finals rounds tomorrow,” Ross said.

“I’m sick of chasing the Qualifier. I want to execute my race well and get the time I need to earn the individual spot. It’s always been my aim this year.”

The runner-up at the Stawell Gift and a stunning second in 10.25 at the Qantas Melbourne World Challenge, Mitchell Williams-Swain (Qld) was first to cross in heat three in 10.44 (w: +1.2) before Jarrod Geddes (NSW), who was a finalist in the short sprints at the IAAF World Youth Championships, clocked the fastest time of the night of 10.38 (w: -0.7) in heat four.

“I was hoping for a little bit more of a tail, but on the whole I was happy with my race and fingers crossed I can bust out something bigger tomorrow. It’s going to be on in the finals rounds. We are all chasing the spots on the Australian team as well as the national title,” Williams-Swain said.

“Everything I have been chasing is getting there so hopefully it comes together for me this weekend. It’s been an interesting few weeks. I knew I couldn’t focus on what happened at Stawell, and then at the Melbourne event last week had a great start and ran as well as I could have hoped.

Also launching his Australian Athletics Championship in style was dual Paralympic gold medallist Evan O’Hanlon (NSW), while Rheed McCracken (Qld) achieve an A-Qualifier for the T34 400m at the IPC Athletics World Championships with his performance to win the men’s wheelchair 400m.

O’Hanlon looked strong from the outset in the men’s ambulant 400m, convincingly passing those ahead of him in the stagger on the back straight. Continuing his dominance into the home straight, O’Hanlon crossed in an IPC Athletics World Championships A-Qualifying time of 49.84.

McCracken, who won two medals on debut at the London Paralympic Games, crossed in 54.30 to increase his chances for Australian selection to the IPC World Championships. His performance was equal to 95.36% of the world record for his event ensuring his win in the combined class event.

Closing out two impressive days of competition, the women’s heptathlon was won by Portia Bing (NZL, 5591 points), with the Australian title taken home for the first time by Ashleigh Hamilton (Vic, 5369 points).

In other highlights:
–        Tim Driesen (Vic) added an eighth national crown in the men’s hammer throw to his impressive trophy cabinet, with his best mark of 69.68m in round three enough to secure the top spot. World Youth Championships bound Mathew Denny (Qld), competing with the full weight implement of 7.26kg, was third with a personal best throw of 62.50m.
–        Saving her best throw for last, Commonwealth Games representative and 2008 Paralympian Brydee Moore (Vic) threw 12.23m to win the women’s secured javelin throw, while Dennis Ramsay (Vic) won the men’s event in 28.96m.
–        Recording just a single leap to ensure his auto-advance to the final, Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) soared 7.42m with his first attempt in the men’s long jump.
–        The men’s 400m final will be a race for selection to the Australian Flame team, with the first three athletes to cross automatically selected to the 4x400m relay team. After semi-finals today, Sean Wroe (Vic, 46.50) and Josh Ralph (NSW, 46.90m) will start fastest after winning in the round of 16.
–        Kelly Hetherington (Vic) won the first heat of the women’s 800m to qualify fastest for the final. Her time of 2:04.44 was comfortable, with the Victorian champion set to continue her quest for the IAAF World Championships Qualifier in the final later this weekend.
–        Philo Saunders (ACT) advanced quickest to the final of the men’s 1500m with a heat time of 3:43.92, with James Kaan (NSW, 3:45.73), Jeremy Roff (NSW, 3:44.18), Josh Wright (NSW, 3:45.76) and Ryan Gregson (NSW, 3:45.09) set to join him on the start line in the race for the Australian title.

 

Athletics Australia – News