Matthew Ramsden has run the fastest 1500m by an Australian in Australia in the past three decades at an interclub meet in Perth.
Running solo for the final 500m and winning by 12 seconds, Ramsden clocked 3:34.97 to dip under the Olympic entry standard by three-hundredths of a second at the Go for 2 & 5 meet at the WA Athletics Stadium. The performance was just 0.14 seconds outside of his personal best, set in September last year during the pause in Olympic qualifying.
The run was the fastest in Australia since Mike Hillardt and Pat Scammell ran 3:34.06 and 3:34.61 respectively in Melbourne in March 1988.
In Queensland, 400m runner Ella Connolly recorded a stunning 11.21 seconds over 100m, aided by an illegal 2.1 m/s tailwind. At the same meet, Hannah Jones moved to 12th on the Australian all-time list in the 100m hurdles with a 13.11 seconds (2.0) performance.
The Sally Pearson coached Jones was the quickest of Australia’s female sprint hurdlers over the weekend, with a number of athletes also showing promising form: Breanna Beahan 13.26 in a mixed-race in Perth, Celeste Mucci 13.32 in Ballarat, and Michelle Jenneke 13.39 behind Jones in Queensland.
In other action at the Victorian Country Championships in Ballarat, Australian record holder in the javelin, Kathryn Mitchell, returned to competition with a 60.25m throw, while Brooke Stratton leapt to 6.61m in the long jump.
Go for 2 & 5 Program D
WA Athletics Stadium
22 January 2021
Full results
WOMEN
100m H (mix) (1.3) Brianna Beahan 13.26
Pole Vault Raphaela Corney 4.07m
MEN
1500m Matthew Ramsden 3:34.97 (Olympic entry standard)
Long Jump Dylan James 7.56m (0.0)
Victorian Country Championships
Llanberris Athletics Reserve, Ballarat
22-24 January 2021
Full results
WOMEN
100m (1.1) Celeste Mucci 11.58, Mia Gross 11.82
100m H (2.3) Celeste Mucci 13.32
Long Jump Brooke Stratton 6.61m (0.0)
Pole Vault Cassidy Bradshaw 4.00m
Javelin Kathryn Mitchell 60.25m
MEN
200m (1.8) Will Johns 21.28
High Jump Yual Reath 2.20m
Triple Jump Ayo Ore 16.07m (1.7)
Shot Damien Birkinhead 18.99m, Aiden Harvey 17.62m, Matthew Cowie 17.13m
Hammer Jett Carlin 55.90m
HVC and AVT Meet #3
Knox Park Athletics Track
23 January 2021
Full results
Photo Gallery
WOMEN
100m (0.4) Alexia Loizou 11.72, Maddison Coates 11.81
200m (2.5) Maddison Coates 23.97
MEN
100m (-0.1) =1st Jack Hale 10.49, =1st Jake Penny 10.49
400m Jake Stevens 47.15, Ross Hyne 47.25
Shot Damien Birkinhead 19.21m, Aiden Harvey 17.23m
Hammer Jack Dalton 61.40m
Dane Bird-Smith Shield
Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre – Main Stadium
23 January 2021
Full results
WOMEN
100m (2.1) Ella Connolly 11.21, Hannah Jones 11.69, Tamara Hotten 11.81, Hilal Durmaz 11.89
400m Ellie Beer 53.43
100m H (2.0) Hannah Jones 13.11 (#12 Australian all-time), Michelle Jenneke 13.39
MEN
400m Alex Beck 46.67
1500m Adam Fogg 3:39.57, Jude Thomas 3:42.95
110m H (-0.1) Sam Hurwood 14.41
Javelin Liam O’Brien 74.51m
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