Summer Olympic Sports in between Olympics thread.

[GreyCrow]

That made me frustrated. Kennedy, fresh off narrowly missing gold representing Australia, beats Gout but, “it’s not the result we wanted”. Poor choice of words. The hype about Gout is quickly getting out of control. Let the kid develop.

I was also waiting for the Kennedy praise - I recognise 11500 of the crowd were there for 1 person but Kennedys effort seem to be diminished

My two highlights were Hollingsworth in the 1500, and Cam Myers. I think Claudia will settle into the 1500m as her pet event, she kinda gave that impression during her interview. Myers was simply superb from start to finish. Ky Robinson was also brilliant.

When you have the confidence at 19 to push the pacemaker off the track for going too slow - you know thats special

My disappointment was Torrie Lewis. Great off the blocks then went backwards. What’s the go? Thought she’d be in a great position with all that training in the Netherlands but she looked so sluggish. Long season ahead I suppose.

Watching it it looked like Torrie got to a point at about 25/35m where running was automatic and the brain/desire didnt click in

 

[AdelaideGT]

I am not interested in hearing the hyping up of athletes that they have a commercial interest in promoting.

Ummm what??

Who on last night's broadcast gets some kind of kickback for talking up anybody??

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

So 7 go into hyperdrive as they had just had a Spotlight special on Gout and have rights to Athletics for the next 3 years.

Big Farken Deal.

7 hype up their footy coverage and Vic based commentators barrack for big Vic teams to do well - for ratings purposes. 9 do the same with the NRL. 7 with cricket and so forth.

When 7 stitched up several Olympics at the start of the century, 9 got smart and saw Aussie swimming was booming upwards with Thorpe and co, so they hyped up their swimming coverage of national meets and world champs and how great Aussie swimmers were.

9 lucked out that Australia pushed the yanks, so they could do the hyperbole stuff, but there was a sizeable gap between Oz and USA apart from 2001 World Champs at Fukuoka when Oz knocked yanks off the gold medal table. But Phelps and co were lurking.

7 now are trying to do the same with their athletics coverage as what 9 did with swimming 25 years ago, for a decade. Don't have the Olympics, but have Gout to piggy back over the next few years - 2 Olympic cycles, got the best athletics caller in the English speaking world in Bruce, and a pretty good 2nd and 3rd banana backing him up and hype it up.

Oz athletics will never achieve the number of world champs/gold medals as Oz swimming, everybody runs, walks, throws or jumps around the world, but not everybody swims.

Plus its a shit load harder to break world records in the wind and cold and non perfect conditions compared to a pool that is 26-27 degrees for every major national and international meet as well as the same level of humidity, not fighting a wind, so 7's hype with athletics, when they get the chance, has to be bigger than 9's was when they did the swimming.

I just wish 7 with athletics would do a 9 with swimming and cover the world champs. They did for the 5 between 1991 and 1999, and then dumped them after the Olympics.

They had Peter Norman on their coverage of 1997 world champs in Athens and 1999 in Seville, and I thought he was great, but 7 dumped him for Sydney. Don't know why? Did AOC, and/or Athletics Australia, and/or IOC put pressure on 7 given his stance in 1968 Olympics? He didn't have tickets for the athletics at Sydney, and it took Michael Johnson and USA Track and Field organisation to get him to be their guest for Sydney.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Did AOC, and/or Athletics Australia, and/or IOC put pressure on 7 given his stance in 1968 Olympics?

The anti-Norman 'agenda' gets made up and exaggerated, especially by some of his family.

They claim he was kept off the 1972 Olympic because of his support for the 'Black Power' saluters. Garbage - his form wasn't nearly good enough to earn him a place. Peter said much the same when I spoke (via the interwebz) to him around the time of Sydney 2000. He never claimed any kind of discrimination against him by officials because of 1968.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

The anti-Norman 'agenda' gets made up and exaggerated, especially by some of his family.

They claim he was kept off the 1972 Olympic because of his support for the 'Black Power' saluters. Garbage - his form wasn't nearly good enough to earn him a place. Peter said much the same when I spoke (via the interwebz) to him around the time of Sydney 2000. He never claimed any kind of discrimination against him by officials because of 1968.

I never raised that. I asked why did 7 cut him from their 2000 athletics Olympics coverage after he was part of their 1997 and 1999 world champs coverage, and I reckon did a very good job?

Also I asked why wasn't he invited by AOC / Athletics Australia to the 2000 games when other medalists were? Its not like Oz had a huge number of Olympic medalist in athletics alive in 2000 and that there were a lack of seats in an 114,000 capacity stadium.

Those two things just added to the line that Peter was snubbed by AOC/Athletics Australia and even more so when he became a guest of US Track and Field federation for the athletics.

Over the last 15 years or so, I have ignored the myth that he was deliberately snubbed for 1972 Olympic selections. Yes he may have run up to 15 qualifying times combined in both the 100m and 200m after 1968, but I can't find anything that says he ran them in the qualifying period.

He was selected to go to 1969 Pacific Games in Tokyo and 1970 Comm Games, so that is hardly a snub.

I don't know what the rules were in 1972, and if the National championships were considered Olympic selection trials back then, but he finished 3rd and didn't run a qualifying time at the championships. No 100m, 200m or 400m male sprinter was sent to Munich and therefore no relay teams. Maybe they were just hard arses back then as there wasn't public funding to send athletes to the Olympics. Chook raffles were a major fundraiser.

The US athletics and swimming federations for decades have used their national championships in an Olympic year as their Olympic trials and you have to finish top 3 for athletics and produce an Olympic qualifying standard, and for swimming its top 2 (used to be top 3) and produce a qualifying standard swim. In Oz swimming it used to be do a qualifier and finish top 2 at Nationals 3 or 4 months before the Olympics, and you are on the plane, but now its do it at trials about 6 weeks before the Olympics, or you stay home.

 

[AdelaideGT]

I asked why did 7 cut him from their 2000 athletics Olympics coverage after he was part of their 1997 and 1999 world champs coverage, and I reckon did a very good job?

Probably because Raelene was available to do Sydney (I don't think she went O/S in 97 & 99) and she was Bruce's favourite Olympic co-commentator of the time. I think she'd done every Games with him since maybe 1984?

 

[AdelaideGT]

Last Saturday's TV ratings....

1) 7 News (1.5M viewers)
2) 9 News (1.4M)
3) Maurie Plant meet (1.2M)

Hopefully this result encourages 7 to show more stuff on the TV, rather than just streams.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Matt Denny has smashed his National Record in the Discus with a new Commonwealth & Oceanian Record of 72.07m in the US.

 

[MisterB]

Was that in Oklahoma, or Kentucky or Kansas or wherever it was that Alekna broke the WR where there are ideal discus flight conditions?

 

[AdelaideGT]

Yes. He has gone over to seek out one of the 'wind tunnels' in search of the World Record himself.

He will have other competition including Alekna next weekend.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

A month ago I wrote that I saw 14 year old WA Emilia Reed run a 11.39 women's B final to finish 2nd in Perth Track Classic, and it was a quick race and all the women were u/18, but because it was a +2.5m/s wind and it doesn't get recorded as an official PB.

The Under Age National Champions ie U/13 to U/18's has been on in Perth since Friday and finished tomorrow before the U/20 and open age nationals start on Thursday. Emillia Reed has upped her effort again.

Rhema Adelaja in second runs under Torrie Lewis's previous U16 record, finishing with a PB in 11.55






And more evidence of the African migration impact on Oz athletics with 13 year old Charlotte Ehioghae win the women's U15 National title in 11.36 (+2.5) which was faster than Reed's run but was over the 2.0m/sec wind allowance. But it was the same wind reading as Reed's race in early March and marginally quicker.

 

[AdelaideGT]

The runner-up to Charlotte was Sienna Vassella.

Her mum - Jane Jamieson - was a Commonwealth Games champ in Heptathlon and her dad was a decent sprinter.

And her grandparents competed in the 1964 Olympics. Gramps made the final of the 400m and Gran won a bronze at 200m.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Matt Denny's throws in Oklahoma. It was an impressive series as everything was over 69.00m

His previous 5 best throws was 69.96m a few weeks after Paris Olympics in Brussels, 69.35m April 2024 nationals in Adelaide, 69.31m at Paris Olympics for Bronze medal, 69.02m May 2024 in Doha, 68.43m September 2023 in Eugene.




Ahead of Matt on the all time list are; https://www.alltime-athletics.com/mdiscok.htm

1 74.35 Mykolas Alekna LTU 18.09.02 1 Ramona 14.04.2024
2 74.08 Jürgen Schult GER 11.05.60 1 Neubrandenburg 06.06.1986 an old East German PED days performance
3 73.88 Virgilijus Alekna LTU 13.02.72 1 Kaunas 03.08.2000
4 73.38 Gerd Kanter EST 06.05.79 1 Helsingborg 04.09.2006
......
36 71.12 Virgilijus Alekna LTU 13.02.72 1 Zürich 11.08.2000
So Matt's last throw of 71.12 is now =37th longest throw as above website hasn't been adjusted yet.


But doesn't look like the most impressive venue.

Denny breaks new ground with historic 72.07m throw | Australian Athletics

Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny has etched his name even deeper into Australian athletics history, unleashing a phenomenal 72.07m throw to become the first Australian to eclipse the 70-metre mark and land the fifth longest-throw in global history. Already one of the sport’s most...

www.athletics.com.au

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

More national under age records fell today at U13-U18 National championships and more to come tomorrow - Friday.

Cam Meyers is going to have another young challenger. Lucas Chis recorded another great time. Here is today's result's article.

Records Fall and Futures Rise on Day Four of the Australian Athletics Championships | Australian Athletics

The stars of tomorrow shone brightly on Day Four of the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships, with 16-year-old Lucas Chis continuing his meteoric rise while a host of emerging talents delivered statements on the nation’s premier stage. Chis (VIC) continued his rise with a new championship...

www.athletics.com.au

Lucas Chis continuing his meteoric rise while a host of emerging talents delivered statements on the nation’s premier stage. Chis (VIC) continued his rise with a new championship record of 3:46.27 over 1500, torching the Under 18 Boys field which included valiant runs from Matthew McLachlan (NSW, 3:49.98) and Bart Leeton (VIC, 3:50.89) for silver and bronze.......

and this was an article on Chis at the start of the championships.

Records Fall and Futures Rise on Day Four of the Australian Athletics Championships | Australian Athletics

The stars of tomorrow shone brightly on Day Four of the 2025 Australian Athletics Championships, with 16-year-old Lucas Chis continuing his meteoric rise while a host of emerging talents delivered statements on the nation’s premier stage. Chis (VIC) continued his rise with a new championship...

www.athletics.com.au

World record holder Hicham El Guerrouj retired long before Lucas Chis was born, but the 16-year-old Victorian has been sifting through the archives. Just two years after his first training session, Chis’ name is one that is only growing louder in the conversation of Australia’s emerging stars.

A breakthrough summer featuring personal bests of 3:43.70 for 1500m and 1:50.75 for 800m has made Chis a recognisable figure on the Australian athletics circuit, with his next goal to do the same for his name:

“You know the food quiche? It’s pretty much that,” Chis (pronounced Kish) says.

Coached by former Australian 10,000m record holder and Olympian Ben St Lawrence, Chis is out to complete the Under 18 Boys 1500m and 800m double in Perth, focusing on his own development with an emphasis on “growing competitiveness” in the coming years. “Right now I prefer the 1500m. I really like the tactics and in my eyes it’s a prestigious event. I still enjoy the 800m, but it’s basically a two-lap sprint which isn’t very fun, especially after the race,” Chis says.

“It’s bittersweet that guys like Jakob [Ingebrigtsen] and Cam [Myers] have redefined what it means to have good times as a teenager. You can run a good time now, but it doesn’t get taken into perspective because Cam Myers and those guys have blown it off the scales.”

Rubbing shoulders with both Myers and Hoare at last week’s Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne where he clocked a career-best 3:43.70, the 16-year-old now returns to his junior rivals better for the experience. [That was 12th of 13 runners and 15 year old Kiwi Sam Ruthe (turns 16 next week) ran 3:40.12]

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Australian junior aged sprinters keep on delivering.

Got home about 20 minutes ago and just in time to watch the U/17 girls 100m final, but was keen to make sure I got home to watch the U/18 girls final which was next race. I wanted to watch Qlder Philp v local O'Brien who has been running quick times in local comps.

Philp got her usual great start and was a step in front after 10m, but O'Brien caught her by 50m mark and clearly won.

She ran 11.14 with a +1.7m/s wind which finally knocked off Raelene Boyle's 1968 Mexico City Olympics U/18 national record, where she finished 4th in the final in 11.20.

O'Brien not only got that national and championship record but she is now 4th fastest Aussie woman, and dragged 2nd thru to 5th placed runners to produce PB's.

Only other Aussies to have run faster are Torrie Lewis 11.10, Melinda Breen 11.11 and Melissa Gainsford Taylor11.12. Sally Pearson also ran a 11.14 at 2007 Osaka World Champs Semi Finals and just missed making the final when she was doing the treble, 100m flat, 100m hurdles and 4x100m relay. She just missed finals in all 3 events and was pissed off when interviewed by Emma Simpkin on SBS's coverage after missed the 4x100m final running the heat on second last day of championships.

Edit Bree Masters/Rizzo ran a 11.09 at Perth Track Classic at start of March but it was windy 3.0m/sec

Commentator Mitch Dyer asked will she now enter the open age final??

 

[AdelaideGT]

Yes - Leah is entered in the open event, so we can see how she fares against Lewis, Rizzo and the rest.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

AA's story about Leah O'Brien

Teen sprint star O’Brien breaks Boyle’s long standing record | Australian Athletics

Australia’s sprinting renaissance has found its newest star in 17-year-old Leah O’Brien, who blazed down the straight at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth to dismantle the long-standing Australian Under 18 record held by sprinting icon Raelene Boyle. Running in the Under 18 Girls...

www.athletics.com.au

........
Having already won the Under 18 Girls 200m title on Saturday in 23.37 (-1.1), O’Brien now has the sprint double for 2025 in her age group, defeating World Under 20 Championships representative Thewbelle Philp (QLD, 11.35) and Amaya Mearns (11.45) with the trio standing in the same order on the podium as they did on Saturday.

Coached by Braiden Clarke, O’Brien moves to ninth on the global all-time list in the Under 18 ranks and equal fourth on the Australian Open all-time list, and will now get ready to back up once more, competing in the 100m Open event on Friday afternoon at 5.55pm AWST.[This is the time the 100m heats start]

“I’m going to come back and run the Opens. I really look up to the top girls in Australia like Torrie Lewis and Bree Masters. I’m always watching their Instagram reels and looking at their photos, it just looks so great and inspirational,” O’Brien said. “A lot of my family and friends are here, this is definitely the most support I have ever had. It’s so great to experience this moment with the people I love and share the happiness.”
......

Summary of the final day of junior/youth part of the national championships

O’Brien saves Best for Last on Final Day of Australian Junior Athletics Championships | Australian Athletics

Western Australian sprinter Leah O’Brien saved the best performance of the Australian Junior Athletics Championships for the fifth and final day of competition, racing to history and passing the baton to her Under 20 and Open counterparts for four more days of athletics action in the wild west...

www.athletics.com.au

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

These are fastest non-legal 100m times by Australian women, taken from;

Women's non-legal 100m

100m, 100 meters, 100 metres, statistics

www.alltime-athletics.com

493 11.01 +2.8 Kerry Johnson AUS 23.10.63 1h3 Sydney 02.12.1989
536 11.02A +3.0 Melinda Gainsford-Taylor AUS 01.10.71 1 Pietersburg 18.03.2000
585 11.03 +4.5 Melinda Gainsford-Taylor AUS 01.10.71 1 Perth 24.01.1998
845 11.08 +3.3 Kerry Johnson AUS 23.10.63 1 Sydney 02.12.1989

11.09 +3.0 Bree Masters/Rizzo's Perth 01.03.2024 is equal 909th fastest non-legal time.

Kerry Johnson's fastest legal time of 11.19 was shortly after the two above, at Auckland Comm Games 28th Jan 1990 in semi final and she won silver in the final in another windy time of 11.17. She won silver in the 200m and along with a 16 year old Cathy Freeman in the 4x100m relay team, beat the poms and won gold. She lost gold to Merlene Ottey in both 100m and 200m.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Slowish start to the Nationals so far today, but things about to get more interesting. Times are AEST.

1710 W1500 heats
1735 M1500 heats
1800 WJAV qualifying
1840 WU20 100 heats
1855 MU20 100 heats
2040 WU20 100 F
2047 MU20 100 F

 

[toxic]

Slowish start to the Nationals so far today, but things about to get more interesting. Times are AEST.

1710 W1500 heats
1735 M1500 heats
1800 WJAV qualifying
1840 WU20 100 heats
1855 MU20 100 heats
2040 WU20 100 F
2047 MU20 100 F

Are they on 7+

 

[catstorm]

Slowish start to the Nationals so far today, but things about to get more interesting. Times are AEST.

1710 W1500 heats
1735 M1500 heats
1800 WJAV qualifying
1840 WU20 100 heats
1855 MU20 100 heats
2040 WU20 100 F
2047 MU20 100 F

Where can you watch this?

 

[AdelaideGT]

Where can you watch this?

Stream Athletics: Australian Athletics Championships LIVE on Athletics Australia

Australia's best athletes descend on Perth for nine days of fierce competition at the Australian Athletics Championships

7plus.com.au

The next three days (most top events coming late arvo onwards) will be even better.

 

[Cmarsh]

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Jess Hull won her 1500m heat and front ran and was comfortable and ran a 4.09 as her pb is a 3.50.

Cam Meyers won his 1500m heat and front ran and was comfortable and ran a 3.38 and his pb is a 3.32. He only knows one way to run, flat out and it was only the last 50m or so he switched off.