WAIS Track and Field Preview Ahead of Nationals
With the 89th Australian Athletics Championships set to start this Friday April 15th in Melbourne, a series of WAIS hopefuls will be looking to stake their claims for personal glory, and a potential shot at qualification for August’s World Championships.
Despite the absence of WAIS World and Olympic champion Steve Hooker, the Australian Athletics Championships will still showcase a surfeit of talent headlined by the likes of Sally Pearson, Aaron Rouge-Serret and WAIS national champions Ben Offerins and Kim Mickle.
For a look at the WAIS athletes in action this weekend and where their main challenges will come from, we’ll start with track:
Ben Offerins – 400m sprinter Ben Offereins had a slow start to the domestic season, but has improved with each hit-out, which culminated in his first sub 46 second run of the year in front of a home crowd at the Perth Athletics Tour Final recently. Offereins won the event ahead of Sean Wroe and Kevin Moore, with both expected to be among the front runners again in Melbourne. In one of the most anticipated events of the championships, it will also be worth keeping an eye out for the enigmatic John Steffensen and NSW new-comer Steven Solomon.
Current 400m men’s National Champion: Ben Offereins
Current Australian Record Holder: Darren Clark (44.38sec)
Shannon McCann – McCann has had the unenviable task of competing against the red hot Sally Pearson this domestic season, with the Olympic medallist and Commonwealth champion looking a sure thing to wrap up the 100m sprint and hurdles double. McCann looks more than capable of medalling in the 100m hurdles, and will be hoping to clock a time near race favourite Pearson.
Current 100m women’s National Champion: Sally Pearson
Current Australian Record Holder: Melinda Gainsford (11.12sec)
Current 100m hurdles women’s National Champion: Sally Pearson
Current Australian Record Holder: Sally Pearson (12.50sec)
On to field:
Kim Mickle – Mickle has had an iron like grip on the women’s javelin competition in recent years and will head into this week’s national championships as un-backable favourite to win national title number six. Mickle has heaved a new personal best of 63.82m this season and is inching closer to the Australian record. Mickle’s victory in Perth in the Athletics Tour Final, secured her bragging rights in the throws division championship ahead of world champion discus thrower Dani Samuels. Mickle has secured an A-Qualifier for August’s World Championships in Daegu, South Korea and will confirm her place on the Australian team with a win in Melbourne. Laura Cornford and Kathryn Mitchell will be looking to feature in the medals.
Current javelin women’s National Champion: Kim Mickle
Current Australian Record Holder: Louise Currey (66.80m)
Sergey Kucheryanu – Kucheryanu is a Russian born pole vaulter who relocated to Perth in late 2010 to work with WAIS coach Alex Parnov. With Steve Hooker missing this year’s domestic season through injury, Kucheryanu is capable of making a name for himself with victory in Melbourne. Also in contention for the men’s title will be Joel Polkington and Blake Lucas.
Current pole vault men’s National Champion: Steve Hooker
Current Australian Record Holder: Steve Hooker (6.06m)
Ellen Pearce – The women’s pole vault competition has also been weakened through injury and absence, with WAIS athlete and National Champion Liz Parnov and fellow scholarship Alana Boyd both sitting out competition in Melbourne. Pearce has made significant progress in the past 12 months and now sits as one of Australia’s most promising vaulters. Pearce is capable of jumps above 4m and is a strong medal prospect at nationals. The favourite tag will rest with Queensland’s Charmaine Lucock, who claimed victory in Perth at the Tour Final.
Current pole vault women’s National Champion: Liz Parnov
Current Australian Record Holder: Kim Howe (4.72m)
Ellen Pettitt and Zoe Timmers – Pettitt and Timmers will forge WA’s charge in the women’s high jump. Pettitt was a member of Australia’s 2010 Commonwealth Games squad, whilst Timmers has been threatening her personal best through much of the domestic season. This year’s title is wide open after the withdrawl of last year’s champion Petrina Price to injury. Amy Pejkovic and Lauren Foote are likely challengers.
Current high jump women’s National Champion: Petrina Price
Current Australian Record Holder: Alison Inverarity/Vanessa Ward (1.98m)
Matt Cowie – After representing Australia at the World Junior Championships in Canada last year, Cowie has since made the step up to senior ranks. He has secured some podium finishes during the Australian domestic season to suggest he is one for the future, and the 19 year-old will be looking for an upset in Melbourne. Dale Stevenson will be the man to stop, with the big man of Australian athletics set for a first antional title. Stevenson set a new personal best recently to demonstrate why he’s considered the heir to the men’s shot put crown. Also firmly in the reckoning for medals is another young gun, Damien Birkinhead.
Current shot put men’s National Champion: Scott Martin
Current Australian Record Holder: Scott Martin (21.26m)