Athletics Australia – News – Pearson on fire in perfect Perth conditions

Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson has made her play for the Australian Athletics Tour sprints/hurdles crown in Perth tonight, with the Commonwealth champion one of many athletes benefitting from perfect weather conditions on day one of the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final.

Taking to the start line as division leader with 20 points, Pearson clocked IAAF world championships qualifiers of 11.20 (w: +0.5) and 12.85 (w: +0.6) to win the women’s 100m and 100m hurdles respectively.

“I don’t know why 11.10 isn’t coming in the 100m, I got out of the blocks strong and expected a little quicker tonight to be honest,” Pearson said.

“I know I can run quicker than I did tonight and it’s just a matter of making it happen I suppose.

“Coming back to the hurdles was great though, it’s always been my preferred event and despite good results in flat sprints this domestic season it will be my focus for world champs (sic).”

Now boasting a 25 point total, Pearson holds a commanding lead in the sprints/hurdles title race, with Lauren Boden needing a sub 55.16 run in the women’s 400m hurdles tomorrow night to challenge for the division crown.

In the men’s sprints it was Aaron-Rouge Serret out in front as the Commonwealth Games 100m finalist clocked 20.87 (w:  +1.2) to win the men’s 200m and take his Tour point score to 17. Etching his first bonus points next to his name in the process, Rouge-Serret’s time was a season best, 0.05 seconds off his personal best and enough to all but guarantee a sprints/hurdles minor placing.

Also on track, Jeff Riseley and Lachlan Renshaw blazed the straight in the men’s 800m to bolster their chances for distance title supremacy. Stopping the clock at 1:47.95, Riseley edged out the national champion Renshaw (second, 1:48.20) and NSWIS scholarship holder James Kaan (third, 1:48:80) to take his point score total a lead equalling 20 points.

“Tonight was a good run, the weather provided a perfect opportunity but no one really took it up to anyone so the time wasn’t overly quick,” Riseley said.

“I haven’t done a heap of work across 800m so overall a win is great and hopefully that will help my race for some prize money.”

Commonwealth Games representative Kaila McKnight joins Riseley in the lead after winning the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:21.51 to take her Tour point score to 20 and confirm her spot in the minor placings at worst for the distance crown.

In other track highlights:

–          Estonian Maris Magi won the women’s 400m in a time of 52.90, just ahead of 15-time national champion Tamsyn Lewis (second, 52.99) and South Australian Rosie Kelly (third, 54.87).

–          Flame athlete Melissa Breen and Laura Whaler clocked season best performances of 11.46 (w: +0.5) and 11.69 to place second and third in the women’s 100m.

On the runway, QAS scholarship holder Kane Brigg has made a late play for a minor placing in the jumps division. Soaring 16.97m in the men’s triple jump, Brigg’s performance was a 50 centimetre personal best, takes the 2006 Commonwealth Games high jump representative to fifth on the Australian All-Time List and increases his final point score to 19.

“My season has started pretty slowly but the result tonight is just awesome,” Brigg said.

“I will head home from here and celebrate a little bit before a big shift in focus to Nationals in two week.”

Meanwhile in the thrower’s circle, national champions Benn Harradine and Dani Samuels have dominated the men’s and women’s discus throw.

Arriving in Perth after a 65.60m world championships qualifier only two weeks ago, Harradine heaved 62.76m in the final round to take victory and begin his domestic campaign strongly.

“I’m always keen to perform well at home and tonight is probably the start of bigger things to come,” Harradine said.

“I’m in pretty good shape and hope that at Nationals and then in Europe I can really build towards a great world championships campaign.”

In the women’s event, Samuels best mark of 62.20m was her first world championships qualifier. Taking her point score total to 24 after 13 points (10 + 3 bonus points) tonight, Samuels will now finish second at worst in the throws division.

“It’s so good to have a qualifier next to my name, I know I don’t need it but to have one is just so fantastic,” Samuels said.

“I still need to improve my series but with consistent bigger throws that will come.”

In other field highlights:

–          Josh Lodge leapt a season best 2.20m to win the men’s high jump and edge out Western Australian Thomas Brennan (second, 2.10m) and South African Jonathon Coetsee (third, 2.05m)

–          Soaring 13.49m, Victorian Linda Allen won the women’s triple jump in a season best performance.

–          Russian Sergey Kucheriany (5.50m) won the men’s pole vault ahead of Joel Pocklington (second, 5.10m) and James Filshie (third, 4.95m)

Competition continues at the Western Australian Athletics Stadium tomorrow, with Mitchell Watt and Fabrice Lapierre set to face off in the men’s long jump in arguably the best head-to-head duel of the Australian domestic season.

On the track, Jana Pittman-Rawlinson will compete for the first time in Australia since 2006 in the women’s 400m hurdles and Sean Wroe, Ben Offereins and Kevin Moore will face off in the men’s 400m.

To download and view full results from day one of the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final, please click here.

 

 Athletics Australia – News