Athletics Australia – News – QUEENSLAND TRACK CLASSIC

Australian pole vault record holder Alana Boyd (Qld) will have the Beijing 2015 qualifier of 4.50m in her sights when she takes to the runway at the Queensland Track Classic this Saturday 7 March.

Within striking distance of the clearance on multiple occasions already this Australian Athletics Tour, including her 4.45m performance at the Adelaide Track two weeks ago, Boyd is determined to ensure she stakes her claim for IAAF World Championships selection domestically before inching her season best higher when she takes on the world during the European season.

“It’s a great concept this weekend, with State Championships combined with the Track Classic, and I’m really looking forward to competing. For me, the qualifying mark is what I’m chasing most, but to win the gold as well would be ideal,” Boyd said.

“It has been great to start my preparation for 2015 not returning from injury. I am miles ahead of where I have been in the past in terms of my strength and speed, as well as technical aspects of my jump that have been a work in progress for years. I feel that if I can stay healthy then anything is possible this year, and I am very much looking forward to competing across the remaining Australian Athletics Tour meets and then at the Nationals.

“The goal domestically has been to get the 4.50m done and dusted and I plan to make than happen. I have my sights set on a win at the Nationals too.”

Boyd commendably highlighted her ability to keep it together in trying circumstances when she won her second consecutive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on the last evening of competition at Hampden Park in Glasgow (SCO). Battling heavy rain and difficult winds, the 30-year-old cast doubts aside to soar over 4.50m and take victory, as one of only four athletes who recorded a mark.

“The Commonwealth Games was tough, that's for sure, and I definitely proved I can jump when it counts in difficult conditions. Of course in pole vault confidence and commitment is everything so it is great coming off the back of that performance for the 2015 season,” Boyd added.

The women’s pole vault will again be a feature of the program in Brisbane (Qld), with entry lists confirming the start of London Olympian Liz Parnov (WA), Commonwealth Games starter Vicky Parnov (WA) and Nina Kennedy (WA), who soared to an outstanding 4.59m world junior outdoor best clearance at the Jandakot City Track Classic in Perth (WA) last month.

Competing in the men’s long jump is Robbie Crowther (Qld). An ambassador for Athletics Australia’s Athletics for the Outback program, the national champion opened his season with an 8.02m jump at the Hunter Track Classic, just eight centimetres shy of the qualifier for the IAAF World Championships. Nik Bojic (Qld) and Brandon Starc (NSW), who both made the final at Glasgow 2014 and have personal bests of 2.40m, will battle it out in the men’s high jump, while their fellow Commonwealth Games representatives Hannah Joye (Qld) and Zoe Timmers (WA) will duel in the women’s event.

Like Boyd, Matthew Outzen (NSW) has also found himself tantalisingly close to the qualifying mark for Beijing 2015, with the 27-year-old improving his men’s javelin personal best to 80.37m at the Hunter Track Classic last month.

Set to compete against the Glasgow 2014 bronze medallist Hamish Peacock (Tas) and a returning national record holder Jarrod Bannister (Qld), Outzen has this year commenced working with Lukas Cannan and he credits the change in coach with the first improvement in his career best since the Scottish Athletics Championships in 2010.

“This is my first season with new coach Lukas and I am excited at the new approach to training. Things are going really well so hopefully I will keep peppering around the qualifier in the weeks to come, before making it a thing of the past and throwing beyond it either in Brisbane this weekend or at the Nationals,” Outzen said.

“I’d like to achieve consistency beyond 80 metres this season, and start to nail the little things that I am working on in training but not always achieving in competition. That will give me my best chance for Australian selection and I would be very proud to wear the Australian colours at any event in the future.”

Competing in the men’s shot put will be Australian champion Damien Birkinhead (Vic), who is coached by Scott Martin, while the men’s discus throw features two-time NCAA champion Julian Wruck (Qld) and his compatriot from the Sunshine State Matthew Denny (Qld). Denny will compete at the Queensland Track Classic before descending on his last Australian Junior Athletics Championship as an under 20 aged athlete in Sydney (NSW) the following week.

Opening her season with a 65.20m best effort at the Adelaide Track Classic, former world champion Dani Samuels (NSW) will compete for the first time at her new home track after relocating to the Gold Coast (Qld) earlier this Australian Athletics Tour. She will start alongside her fellow Commonwealth Games finalists Taryn Gollshewsky (Qld) and Christie Chamberlain (NSW).

The Queensland Track Classic will be held alongside the Queensland Athletics Championships, with athletes set to compete across rounds to earn their spot in the final as part of the feature timetable on the evening on Saturday 7 March.

It will be a bumper weekend of athletics at QSAC, with Australia also to play host to an instalment of the IPC Grand Prix series for the first time. This event will feature some of the world’s best para-athletes, including Lyon 2013 gold medallists Evan O’Hanlon (NSW) and Scott Reardon (NSW), competing in events for ambulant and wheelchair athletes.

The Queensland Track Classic is the penultimate leg of the Australian Athletics Tour before Tour Finals descend on Sydney (NSW) and Melbourne (Vic) in the coming fortnight. The 93rd Australian Athletics Championships, which double as the IAAF World Championships Selection Trial, bookend the domestic season on the last weekend in March.

For more information on the Queensland Track Classic, and the IPC Grand Prix, please click here

Athletics Australia – News