Gout Gout 19.67 legal to win Australian title; Murphy sub-20 for second

Gout Gout has recorded a performance for the ages, riding a 1.7 m/s tailwind in perfect conditions at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre to a 19.67 second run over 200m.

The performance is a new World Under 20 Record.

Running from lane seven, with the fast starting Christopher Ius on his outside, Gout was challenged on the outside by Aidan Murphy and Calab Law on his inside.

With characteristic top-end speed the Queenslander pulled away down the home straight to become the first Australian to break 20 seconds under legal conditions.

“I wrote down 19.75, and for the past week in my head I would tell myself, I’m running 19.75. And obviously 19.67, you know, gotta love it,” Gout said.

“There’s a big weight off my shoulders knowing I ran it legally and I have the speed in my body to run times like that.

“It definitely felt like I had a lot more in the tank, for sure. It feels great and I’m ready for more.” 

Murphy was rewarded with a sensation 19.88s PB in second while the top 6 athletes all ran under 20.40 seconds to record personal best performances: Calab Law 20.21, Christopher Ius 20.26, Archer McHugh 20.37 and Rory Easton 20.37.

It’s hard to remember a more popular home crowd favourite than Jess Hull who recorded the most popular victory of the championships, taking out the 5000m with a stylish run after being tripped during Friday’s 1500m final. Hull ran away from Linden Hall with a 61 second final lap to clock 15:13.21. Hall ran credibly for second in 15:15.33 while Maudie Skyring finished strongly for bronze (15:18.27), overtaking Rose Davies (15:20.81) who had made a bold run from home with a kilometre remaining.

“Physically the week has probably been the easiest, but it has been tough mentally and emotionally,” Hull said.

“I pulled it all together and it feels great. I will grow from it and I’m looking forward to a great year ahead.”

Similarly bouncing back from the disappointment of being jostled as she ran for home in the 1500m, Abbey Caldwell defended her national 800m title, out kicking Claudia Hollingsworth down the home straight to run 1:58.57. With the Commonwealth Games qualifier already to her name Caldwell is an automatic selection for Glasgow.

Hollingsworth took second in 1:58.91 to conclude a physically and emotionally tiring championships, with 1500m runner-up Sarah Billings taking bronze in 1:59.23.

Nicola Olyslagers cleared 1.99m to win the high jump, taking unsuccessful attempts at 2.02m, with Eleanor Patterson jumping 1.93m.

Matthew Hunt set a new personal best in winning the 400m hurdles with three men under 50 seconds. Hunt clocked 49.37 seconds with Kyle Bennett taking silver in 49.53 and Ash Moloney breaking 50 seconds for the first time for bronze in 49.95s.

Liam Adcock locked in his Commonwealth Games spot with a 8.26m leap (+0.1) to win the long jump from Christopher Mitrevski (8.12m, +0.3).

National record holder Brooke Buschkuehl showed her experience, leaping to a 2cm victory with a final round jump to defeat Delta Amidzovski. Buschkuehl jumped a season’s best 6.67m (+1.1) for her seventh career long jump title.

Peter Bol showed his class in the 800m, taking out his fifth national title with a 1:45.60 run ahead of Luke Boyes (1:45.73) and breakout runner of the season, Bob Abdelrahim (1:45.96).

Michelle Jenneke ran strongly to win the 100m hurdles in 12.74 seconds, while Sam Hurwood clocked a new personal best of 13.52 seconds to win the men’s 110m hurdles.

Sarah Carli maintained her composure in the 400m hurdles, challenged by Alanah Yukich, but winning by half a second in 55.21 seconds.

Lakara Stallan made her first ever national medal a gold one, taking out the 200m at the end of an injury interrupted season with a run of 23.25 seconds (+2.3). Stallan had to run last night’s preliminary rounds to make it through to today’s heats. Nyajima Jock (23.27) and Monique Hanlon (23.37) filled the minor places.

It wasn’t Kurtis Marschall’s day in the pole vault, failing to clear the bar at his opening height of 5.46m. Marschall entered the competition after all other competitors had been eliminated, with Charlie Myers (Great Britain) and Jack Downey tieing for first with 5.24m.

Other national title winners crowned were:

• Aiden Harvey in the shot put, throwing 18.93m to finish behind New Zealand’s Nick Palmer (19.73m)
• National record holder, Ed Trippas, taking out his first steeplechase title in 8:35.29
• Cameron McEntyre in the javelin with a throw of 77.32m

Automatic Commonwealth Games selections

Commonwealth Games Australia named the initial members of the athletics team for the Commonwealth Games, based on athletes automatically nominated by Australian Athletics. To gain automatic nomination athletes had to win nationals in their event, have the automatic qualifying standards and have competed in at least one other Australian Athletics summer series event (Perth, Adelaide, Hobart or Melbourne).

All other athletes will be selected later at the discretion of selectors, including Jess Hull, Matt Denny and Kurtis Marschall.

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