Perth Track Classic Preview
A host of Australia’s premiere track and field talents will converge on the WA Athletics Stadium this Saturday for the 2019 Perth Track Classic.
The meet has attracted a strong stable of senior representative Australian team talent with the men’s 800m race set to feature the night’s entertainment.
The two-lap contest will pit current Australian record holder Joseph Deng against training partner and 2016 Olympian Peter Bol. The star billing will be further enhanced by Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Luke Mathews – who is one of the great showmen of Australia’s current generation of track and field talents.
The men’s and women’s pole vault start lists will see a keen local flavour, with four WA athletes in the men’s draw and a further three in the women’s.
Angus Armstrong and Declan Carruthers have led the way over the course of the current domestic season, with Stephen Clough competing – in addition to the exceptionally multi-talented Sasha Zhoya who recently broke records at an indoor meet in France, in both the 60m hurdles and boys’ pole vault.
Liz Parnova will contest her first Track Classic meet for 2019 where she will be joined by Nina Kennedy – who will jump off a short run-up – and the rapidly improving Lauren Hyde-Cooling.
WA sprint favourite Aaron Bresland will receive quality competition in both the men’s 100m and 200m dashes with the 100m highlighted by one of the country’s most in-form athletes Jack Hale, and the 200m including the quality of Alex Hartmann, Rohan Browning and Jake Doran.
The women’s multi-class 100m will feature two Australian Flame representatives with Paralympic medallist Ella Pardy (T38) running against Commonwealth Games medallist Rhiannon Clarke (T38). Wheelchair racerRobyn Lambird (T34) has been closing in on an IPC World Champs A-Qualifier in recent weeks and she joins the exciting start-list as she pushes to make a first senior representative team in 2019.
Ian Dewhurst will be a strong favourite to take out the men’s 400m hurdles, whilst his partner Brianna Beahan will be the one to beat in the women’s 100m hurdles race. Alanah Yukich is expected to lead out an all WA women’s 400m hurdles final, whilst in the Herb Elliott men’s mile – home grown product Matt Ramsden will look for an eye-catching display in front of a home crowd, where he is strongly tipped for line-honours.
Cruz Hogan will be a local crowd favourite in the men’s javelin field which includes current Commonwealth Games medallist and multiple national champion Hamish Peacock. The start-list also includes another of coach Grant Ward’s young talents in Jesse Schelfhout.
U20 World Championships representative Lara Ilievski will hope to take out the women’s javelin competition which on this occasion doesn’t boast any current senior team contestants whilst IPC World Championships silver medallist Sarah Edmiston (F44) will compete against the men in the discus event, as she finds another opportunity for competition practice as she seeks to build on a highly encouraging start to the 2019 season.
WA high jump brothers Sean and Grant Szalek will compete in the men’s competition, whilst Perth track and field fans will also be treated to two of the country’s elite long jumpers, with Queensland’s Naa Anang and Victorian Brooke Stratton set for a head to head battle for competition honours.
The Perth Track Classic will be hosted at the WA Athletics Stadium in Mt Claremont this Saturday, March 16 with action commencing from 5pm. Tickets are available from the following link.