When the Australian Athletics Championships were last held in Perth in 2010, it had been a generation in time since the nation’s best had battled for national titles on WA soil. On the newly minted competition venue at the WA Athletics Stadium, the final day produced fireworks—and a long jump duel that remains one of the most dramatic in championship history.
Lapierre Goes Big… Really Big
Fresh off a World Indoor Championship gold, Fabrice Lapierre came into the competition as the clear favourite. But by the fifth round of the men’s long jump final, that script was under serious threat.
Chris Noffke, the 2005 national champion, stunned both the field and a vocal Perth crowd with an 8.33m (+1.2) leap—vaulting himself past Lapierre into the lead and into the conversation for Delhi Commonwealth Games selection. Lapierre had no choice but to respond.
And respond he did. His sixth-round attempt was a monster—8.78m, a jump so far it drew gasps before the white flag even went up. The wind reading (+3.1) may have taken it out of the record books, but not from memory.
“I don’t care what the wind was,” Lapierre said after reclaiming the title. “That jump was incredible.”
It was a wind-assisted effort, sure, but one that confirmed Lapierre was chasing Jai Taurima’s long-standing national record of 8.49m with genuine intent. In fact, it was the longest jump in all conditions in the world since 1992. As for Noffke, he earned more than silver: his performance elevated him to third on the Australian all-time list, behind only Taurima and Lapierre.
Hooker, Samuels Stay Golden
While Lapierre was making headlines in the sandpit, Australia’s other two reigning World champions from Berlin in 2009 — Steve Hooker and Dani Samuels (now Stevens) — delivered performances that underlined their class.
There was speculation Hooker might take a crack at Sergey Bubka’s then world record 6.14m, but the Olympic, World, and Commonwealth champion dismissed the hype. Still, a winning height of 5.80m was more than enough to secure another national title. Behind him, no one else cleared higher than 5.05m.
“They were good conditions to jump in,” Hooker said, “so I’m a little disappointed I didn’t jump as well as I’d have liked.”
Samuels, meanwhile, was all business in the women’s discus, launching 63.31m to claim her sixth consecutive national title—all before turning 22.
“This was one of my most consistent comps,” said Samuels, who would later in the year withdraw from the Commonwealth Games team over security concerns.
Classic 400m
Ben Offereins emerged as a genuine threat in the men’s 400m, having run a world-class 44.86 earlier in the domestic season at the Sydney Track Classic.
In one of the most anticipated races of the meet, Offereins laid down the gauntlet from lane seven, flying past the flamboyant John Steffensen – who earlier in the meet donned shirts stating ‘In John we Trust’ – early and never looking back. He claimed the win in 45.17, ahead of Steffensen (45.72) and Joel Milburn(45.75), with Sean Wroe just missing out in fourth.
“It was good to have John to chase,” Offereins said. “I knew the others would be hunting me from the inside, so I just went for it.”
In the women’s 800m, Katherine Katsenavakis capped a season-long comeback from injury, outkicking Madeleine Pape in the final strides to win 2:04.58 to 2:04.82.
Young Guns in the Distances
The middle-distance events offered a glimpse into the future.
Ryan Gregson, still a teenager by eight days, outfoxed a loaded men’s 1500m field —including Jeff Riseley and Jeremy Roff — to claim his first senior title in 3:44.99. He would go on to break the Australian record later that year in Monaco with his lifetime best of 3:31.06.
Lachlan Renshaw controlled the final lap to win the 800m in 1:46.66, while Kaila McKnight timed her peak perfectly to edge out Bridey Delaney for the women’s 1500m crown.
In the 5000m finals, Eloise Wellings uncorked a 2:50 final kilometre to dominate in 15:23.53, and Ben St Lawrence chased down Collis Birmingham to win in 13:40.54 — after Birmingham’s brutal mid-race surge lit up the track leading to a closing 2000m of 5 minutes, 5 seconds.
Sprinters Face Still Conditions
Despite a season that promised big things, the sprinters were held back by cool and windless conditions.
Aaron Rouge-Serret (10.32) and Melissa Breen (11.50) took the 100m crowns, while 37-year-old veteran Australian 100m record holder Patrick Johnson rolled back the years to win the men’s 200m in 20.78.
Jody Henry completed a 200/400 double, while Tamsyn Lewis, in a rare win-less nationals, finished fourth in the 400 and runner-up to Lauren Boden in the 400 hurdles (55.86).
Big Marks in the Field
In the throws, Scott Martin held off Dale Stevenson in the shot put (19.83m to 19.67m), but was second in the discus behind Benn Harradine (62.26m). The late Jarrod Bannister threw 83.17m to win the javelin, while Kim Mickle took the women’s event with 60.66m.
And in the women’s pole vault, Liz Parnov stole the show, winning on countback over Alana Boyd at 4.40m. Still 15 at the time, Parnov became the youngest athlete selected for Delhi. Boyd would turn the tables later in the year, winning gold.
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