Athletics Australia – News – Pittman-Rawlison triumphs at Tour Final

Jana Pittman-Rawlinson has made a triumphant return to the track in Perth tonight, with the dual world champion clocking 55.75 to win the women’s 400m hurdles at the Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final in Perth.

Edging out national champion Lauren Boden, who ends her Australian Athletics Tour with 20 points for 5^th in the sprints/hurdles division, Pittman-Rawlinson’s run tonight is her first domestically since 2006 and the start of a 2011 IAAF world championships and 2012 London Olympics build-up.

“It’s great to back doing what I love and I can’t wait to compete for Australia again, next year is so important and I know that,” Pittman-Rawlinson said.

“The conditions here were good and thanks so much to Lauren (Boden) for a great race, it was really what I was hoping for.

“I’m back with (coach) Phil King and I am getting stronger, it’s just good to get this first race behind me and begin a build into Nationals.”

Pittman-Rawlinson will now shift her attention to the 89^th Australian Athletics Championships & Selection Trials in two weeks time and with her first run under her belt can head in confident of further success on Australian soil.

The sprints/hurdles winner’s cheque heads home with Sally Pearson, however, with the Queenslander winning the women’s 200m in a time of 23.22 (w: -0.5) to finish with 25 points overall, whilst national champion Brendan Cole clocked a season best 49.94 in the men’s 400m hurdles to soar to second overall with 22 points.

The distance crown was won by Tamsyn Lewis after the 15-time national champion clocked 2:01.44 to win the women’s 800m and take her point score total to 22.

Edging out West Australian Holly Noack (second, 2:02.84) and NSWIS scholarship holder Sianne Toemoe (third, 2:02.88) on the track tonight, Lewis was joined on the distance division podium by Kaila McKnight (second, 20 points) and Jeff Riseley (third, 20 points) and couldn’t be happier with her building form.

“I am exhausted, we headed through 400m so quickly and I think tonight shows that I am really close to a great run,” Lewis said.

“I have always been a big fan of Australia’s domestic season, especially when we come to a great track like this in Perth, and the points concept is something I like.

“I wasn’t thinking about the $10,000 when I started tonight but to have it is a bonus – to be honest though I am so excited to head to Nationals running well.”

In other track highlights:

–          Local favourite Ben Offereins (45.85) clocked his first sub-46 400m of the year to win ahead of Sean Wroe (second, 46.26) and Kevin Moore (third, 46.76).

–          Clocking 10.38 (w: -0.3), national champion Aaron Rouge-Serret won the men’s 100m ahead of Liam Gander (second, 10.63) and Flame athlete Matt Davies (third, 10.64).

Meanwhile on the runway, Mitchell Watt soared 8.21m (w: -1.1), yet another world championships qualifier, to win the men’s long jump and claim the 2011 Australian Athletics Tour jumps crown with 31 points.

Building towards a defence of his world championships bronze medal in August this year, Watt’s performance is another step forward for the 23-year-old as he returns from a serious adductor injury.

“We actually had a bit of a head wind tonight so I am pretty happy with that jump, it’s my third qualifier and perhaps the start of some consistency,” Watt said.

Set to duel with Commonwealth champion Fabrice Lapierre at the start of competition, the jump-off did not eventuate with Lapierre placing 4^th (7.48m, w: -0.2) overall with only one legal jump.

“Tonight was Fabrice’s first competition and I know how tough it is to get your rhythm back,” Watt said.

“Be assured that after a few more jumps he’ll be right back up there and I’m hoping that might come at Nationals in a couple of weeks.”

Joining Watt in the jumps division top three were Charmaine Lucock (second, 20 points), who won the women’s pole vault with a 4.15m clearance tonight, and Henry Frayne (third, 20 points).

Rounding out the Australian Athletics Tour division champions is Kim Mickle, with the Commonwealth Games silver medallist taking home the throws crown after impressing in front of her home crowd with a 59.46m throw to win the women’s javelin throw.

“I was feeling amazing coming into tonight and although the big throws didn’t come I felt awesome and think big things will follow at Nationals in Melbourne,” Mickle said.

“I’m not in it for the money but the $10,000 tonight is a real bonus, it gives me a chance to build as well as I can in a world champs year and fingers crossed some big results will follow.”

Boasting a final point score of 25, Mickle’s performances were enough for the West Australian to defeat world discus champion Dani Samuels (second, 23 points) and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Dale Stevenson (third, 22 points) for the title.

In other field highlights:

–          Stevenson won the men’s shot put with a best mark of 19.26m ahead of Swedish athlete Robert Melin (second, 16.21m) and Matthew Cowie (third, 15.14m)

–          Soaring 6.14m (w: 0.0), world junior championships representative Brooke Stratton won the women’s long jump, with Larissa Perry (5.98m, w: 0.0) second and Jessica Penney (5.98m, w: 0.0) third.

–          Paralympic long jumper Carlee Beattie leapt 5.79m (w: 0.0) to narrowly miss her 5.84m world record set at the Sydney Track Classic two weeks ago.

The Go for 2&5 Australian Athletics Tour Final was the final stop of the five-leg Australian Athletics Tour.

With events hosted in Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney before these past two days in Perth, the 2011 Tour boasted a $430,000 prize pool, the largest in Australian athletics history, and has provided a fantastic prelude to the 89^th Australian Athletics Championships in two weeks time.

The selection trial for the IAAF world championships in athletics later this year, the 89^th Australian Athletics Championships will be held in Melbourne for the first time since 2001 and for the last time at a closing Melbourne Olympic Park.

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

89^th Australian Athletics Championships & Selection Trials
Friday, April 15 – Sunday, April 17 2011
Melbourne Olympic Park

Athletics Australia – News