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Fight for Olympic berths begins in Brisbane

Published by
Shane   Feb 29th 2008, 5:26pm
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Olympic Games selection and national titles are on the line in Brisbane this weekend as the nation’s best athletes compete in the 86th Australian Championships.

Names to watch include World Cup champion Craig Mottram (VIC), Commonwealth Games champions Scott Martin (VIC), Steve Hooker (WA) and Bronwyn Thompson (QLD) and in-form pair Tamsyn Lewis (VIC) and Matt Shirvington (NSW).

The men’s 400m final will produce an intense clash on the track with the return of Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Steffensen, who is set to take on national champion Sean Wroe (VIC), and the ever-improving Joel Milburn (NSW).

The field events are not to be discounted with a battle of the Queenslanders between world junior champion Robert Crowther, world youth champion Chris Noffke and Australian champion Tim Parravicini. The trio will be joined by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) in the long jump.

Here are the top 10 highlights of the next three days action:

1. Men’s 400m final (Saturday, 8:30pm)
Australia’s one-lap wonders will battle it out over three hotly contested rounds for a prized position on the Australian Olympic team. Along with individual selections, positions on the medal hopeful 4 x 400m relay team are also on the line.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist John Steffensen returns from a hamstring injury to take on Australian Champion Sean Wroe (pictured). A win for either will see them granted automatic nomination for Beijing after having both recorded two or more A-qualifying performances.

Not to be discounted, Joel Milburn can also achieve automatic nomination by taking out the championships with an A-qualifying time after achieving his first at the NSW Championships with a 45.19 personal best time.

2. Men’s 100m final (Friday, 8:55pm)
Aussie favourite Matt Shirvington will attempt to take out his sixth 100m national championship, his first since 2002, and keep his hopes alive for his second Olympic Games berth after reaching the semi-finals in Sydney eight years ago.

National champion for the past four years, Joshua Ross, yesterday withdrew from the trials, battling motivation and performance problems, while Athens representative Adam Miller was an early withdrawal after a season-ending hamstring injury.

Shirvington lines up against Australian 100m record holder Patrick Johnson and up-and-coming Victorian Aaron Rouge-Serret.

3. Men’s 1500m final (Friday, 7:50pm)
Coming off B-qualifying performances at the Sydney Grand Prix earlier this month, Bradley Woods (NSW) and Mitchell Kealey (QLD) will be hoping that the competitive field at the selection trails will lift their results to Olympic qualifying pace. Australian champion over 800m Nick Bromley will also stretch his legs over the longer distance.

4. Tamsyn Lewis in the 400m & 800m double (Friday, 8pm & Saturday, 7:20pm)
Eleven-time Australian champion Tamsyn Lewis has placed herself in the perfect position to gain Olympic nomination for the 400m & 800m double with a string of first-class performances, including A-qualifiers in both events. A win in the 800m will secure her a position in the team, while a win in an A-qualifying time over 400m will gain her a double nomination.

In the 800m, Lewis will have to overcome a spirited challenge from fellow Victorian Madeleine Pape who also has also secured an impressive A-qualifying performance earlier this year.

5. Martin in the men’s shot put final (Friday, 7:05pm)
Forced to focus on shot put events due to a foot injury, Commonwealth Games discus gold medallist, Scott Martin, has reaped the benefits after smashing the Australian shot put record with a throw on 21.27m in Melbourne last week. He will meet former national record holder and Olympic finalist Justin Anlezark (QLD), who will have his eyes set on Olympic qualifying after a long lay-off due to injury.

6. Men’s and women’s long jump final (Saturday, 6:45pm & Friday, 6:55pm)
World junior champion Robert Crowther, world youth champion Chris Noffke, Australian champion Tim Parravicini and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Fabrice Lapierre all take to the pit to keep their Olympic hopes alive in the men’s long jump.

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bronwyn Thompson will start favourite for the women’s long jump.

7. Men’s 800m final (Saturday, 7:40pm)
Three-time national champion Nick Bromley will lead a talented 800m field in Brisbane with World Championships representative Jeffery Riseley (VIC) and World Junior Championships representative Lachlan Renshaw (NSW) also taking to the track. Renshaw achieved a major breakthrough in Melbourne, winning in his first A-qualifier and he will start favourite.

8. Men’s and women’s pole vault (Friday, 6pm & Saturday, 6pm)
World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Steve Hooker hopes to add an Olympic gold medal to his impressive list of achievements which include his recent entry into the esteemed six-metre club. He is the red-hot favourite to defend his national title.

Queensland’s Alana Boyd has jumped two A-qualifying performances in the past week. A win at the selection titles will see her follow in her parents' footsteps in making her first Olympic Games.

9. Bannister in the men’s javelin (7:45pm)
Having already achieved two A-qualifyers, Queensland’s Jarrod Bannister simply needs to take out the Australian title to receive automatic nomination to his first Olympic Games. The winner in Melbourne, American Michael Hazle will provide stiff opposition.

10. Women’s and men’s steeplechase (Saturday 8:08pm & 8:33pm)
Tasmania’s Donna MacFarlane is the strong favourite for the women’s event. The men’s is wide open, with Martin Dent (ACT) an impressive winner in Sydney. Defending champion Peter Nowill from Queensland and New South Wales’ Youcef Abdi will all be looking to book their automatic nomination to Beijing.

Selection Trials and 86th Australian Athletics Championships
Date:
Thursday, February 28 - Saturday, March 1, 2008
Venue: Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre

Athletics Australia © Copyright 2007

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