Athletics Australia – News – SYDNEY: Thomas, Cole and Boden to begin World Championships push

Australia’s top one-lap hurdlers Tristan Thomas (Tas), Brendan Cole (ACT) and Lauren Boden (ACT) will all launch their push for selection to the IAAF World Championships at the 2013 Sydney Track Classic on Saturday night. 

Set to compete in the 400m hurdles, the Australian Flame trio will be joined on the start line by Summer Universiade champion Jeshua Anderson (USA) and two-time national champion Michael Beltheel (BEL) in the men’s race and American duo Jernail Hayes (USA) and Jasmin Chaney (USA) in the women’s event.

Anderson’s 400m hurdles personal best is an impressive 47.93, and he is the 2011 NCAA Champion and American champion. Beltheel was a London Olympics semi-finalist, while Hayes and Chaney have career best marks of 56.30 and 55.22 respectively.

Thomas, Cole and Boden all advanced to the semi-final on Olympic debut at London 2012.

A two-time World Championships representative, Thomas won a bronze medal with the men’s 4x400m relay team at the 2009 IAAF World Championships. He was World University 400m hurdles champion in 2009 and boasts a personal best of 48.64.

Thomas opened his season in the 200m at the Briggs Athletics Classic two weeks ago, but now looks forward to returning to the event for which he trains.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to the 400m hurdles and I hope it is a good race. It is pretty early in the season and my training suggests that a performance of note could come and that’s great, but I have to make it happen on the day,” Thomas said.

“I just want it to be a good race. The field is strong and that pushes you to run at your best. It would be nice to come away with a World Championships qualifier if it all comes together, and if its not me that runs one it would be fantastic if an Australian does.”

A three-time 400m hurdles national champion, Cole is a 4x400m relay gold medallist from the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He set his personal best of 49.24 to win his heat at the 2012 LondonOlympic Games.

In 2013, the 31-year-old has his sights once again set on winning the Selection Trial with a qualifier next to his name, as he did at the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic & Olympic Selection Trial last year.

“I know that I haven’t got the base that I’ve had in previous years but I can honestly say that I have reestablished my love for training and am excited about racing. It’s great to have internationals in the event, and it will be great to see a few of the younger guys chasing us around the track in Sydney,” Cole said.

“After a fairly solid post-London break, I’m taking this year as it comes at the moment. I am doing a lot of conditioning work, making sure that my body is in shape and that should see the times come. My training is focused on runningfast at Nationals but the complete plan for being ready to run there will take shape as we see how I perform in the next couple of weeks.”

Boden made her international debut at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne (Vic), before future national representation at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 IAAF World Championships and the 2012 London Olympic Games.

She is a six-time national champion, and at the Sydney Track Classic last year she clocked her fastest ever time on Australian soil.

Anderson, Beltheel, Hayes and Chaney are four of the more than 30 international track and field stars set to compete at the Sydney Track Classic, including throwers Valerie Adams (NZL) and Cleopatra Borel, jumpers Ignisious Gaisah (GHA) and Sarah Cowley (NZL) and sprinters Calesio Newman (USA), Toea Wisil (PNG), Daiki Goto (JPN) and Yusuf Rabah (SUD).

The Australian contingent features 23 Olympians including silver medallist Jared Tallent (Vic), 11 Paralympians including Richard Colman (Vic)and Evan O’Hanlon (NSW) and 11 Australian Spark from the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships.

For more information on the Sydney Track Classic, please click here.

To purchase tickets to the Sydney Track Classic, and other Qantas Australian Athletics Tour events including the Go for 2&5 Perth Track Classic and Qantas Melbourne World Challenge, please click here.

 

Athletics Australia – News

 

NATIONAL ATHLETICS SERIES
The National Athletics Series, incorporating the 2013 Qantas Australian Athletics Tour, is an eight-stop nationwide tour that sees international athletics descend on every state.
The Australian domestic season also features the 4th Australian Junior Athletics Championships, to be held in Perth (WA) for the first time and the 91st Australian Athletics Championships & IAAF World Championships Selection Trial in Sydney (NSW) for the first time since 2006.

20 Jan 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Selection Trial – Canberra (ACT)
2 Feb 2013 Hunter Track Classic – Newcastle (NSW)
16 Feb 2013 Adelaide Track Classic – Adelaide (SA)
16-17 Feb 2013 Aust. Junior Combined Event Championships -Adelaide (SA)
23 Feb 2013 Briggs Athletics Classic – Hobart (Tas)
24 Feb 2013 Oceania & Aust. 20km Race Walking Championships – Hobart (Tas)
9 Mar 2013 Sydney Track Classic – Sydney (NSW) – click here for tickets
12-17 Mar 2013 Australian Junior Athletics Championships – Perth (WA)
16 Mar 2013 Perth Track Classic – Perth (WA) – click here for tickets
23 Mar 2013 Queensland Track Classic – Brisbane (Qld)
6 Apr 2013 Qantas Melbourne World Challenge – Melbourne (Vic) – click here for tickets
11-14 Apr 2013 91st Australian Athletics Championships & IAAF World Championships Selection Trial – Sydney (NSW) – click here for tickets