The 2006 staging of Melbourne’s time honoured Telstra Zatopek Classic coincided with a welcome change in the weather for the rest of the community, but one that brought mixed fortunes for the athletes taking part.
Whilst the distance runners generally revelled in the wet and cooler conditions, the sprinters, jumpers and throwers were less enthusiastic.
Patrick Johnson was upbeat despite failing to get close to Bob Lay’s 41-year-old Australian 100 yards record, the wind, rain and resulting wet track all having conspired against any chance of a new mark being set.
But the senior member of the Australian men’s sprinting squad had plenty to say about his plans for both himself and his colleagues for the rest of the season and the years following in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics.
“The buck stops with us. We’ve got to run fast. Collectively I want us to rise up. We are a competitive relay squad.”
And on the subject of the 100 yards record Johnson was quite happy to put if off for another occasion, “If they will give me another chance to have a go at it, I’ll be happy. I tried to have a go tonight but I am not a big guy and I could feel the wind pushing me back. I was just happy to get through okay. It is a good record.”
He is looking forward to the rest of the domestic season, “The guys are going to come out and try to beat me, which is going to be great.”
Tamsyn Lewis’s return to the track over 800 metres had created plenty of interest before the race and continued to do so during and after it. The Dancing with the Stars third placegetter, went two better last night, winning in a creditable 2:05.10 in the difficult conditions, a result with which she was happy, “Tonight was just about getting out there. The pacemaker went a bit quick over the first 200 metres and I practically had to run the whole race on my own. My race plan was to run the third 200 really strongly and I think I was able to do that.”
But she did not have it all her own way as the race finished approached, with former talented junior at 400 metres Madeleine Pape closing on Lewis at such a rapid rate that she almost stole the show, failing by just 28 hundredths to do so.
Lewis was adamant that her future was at 800 metres and included a serious tilt at the 2007 World Championships, which will be held Osaka, Japan in August. “I am an 800 metres runner. I want to get down to the times I was running at the time of the Sydney Olympics. I am going to concentrate on the 800, but I will runs a few 400s".
“My aim is to run at the Worlds and to enjoy myself this season. Last year was horrible.” Lewis then ended her media conference with plenty to say about those who she felt had let her down over the past twelve months.
Perhaps the surprise of the night was Peter Nowill’s World Championships B qualifying performance in the 3000 metres steeplechase, courtesy of his sixth successive victory in the event at the Zatopek.
The Queenslander ran strongly in the rainy conditions, which can often wreak havoc for steeplechasers as they negotiate the race’s 28 barriers and seven water jumps. His time of 8.30.20 was a good start to the domestic season and a boost to his selection chances for Osaka.
Canberra based Martin Dent ran with Nowill throughout most of the race dropping off only towards the finish and was also able to record a good early season time of 8.34.74.
Other encouraging results for Athletics Australia’s re-emerging distance programme came in the 1500 metres, with New South Welshman, Brad Woods producing a stunning five second personal best to win the men’s race in 3:40.44 from Collis Birmingham and Paul Hoffman, whilst Lisa Corrigan ran away with the women’s in 4:14.66.
In arguably the Meet’s strongest field – the men’s 400 metres, the “fifth man” in Australia’s 4x400m relay success at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Sean Wroe emerged victorious.
The 21-year-old Victorian who spent six weeks training in the UK after representing Oceania in the World Cup in Athens in September, looked in excellent form and stormed home over the last 100 metres to win in 46.15 seconds.
Left in his wake on the sodden track were former world junior championships medallist, Casey Vincent, Kiwi Corey Innes and Athens “Silver Bullet” and Melbourne relay gold medallist Mark Ormrod.
In the meet’s signature events over 10000 metres it was a case of both titles heading overseas with Kiwi Jessica Ruthe taking the women’s race and young American Galen Rupp, the men’s.
Whilst New Zealand women have previously enjoyed success both in 1995 and again last year, it was the first victory by a US athlete in the men’s division in the race’s 45 year history.
The 20 year old Rupp, was pleased with the outcome.
“I was hoping to run a little faster, closer to 28 minutes but this is okay. I’ll take a rest now because we have just finished the collegiate cross-country season. And he did not dismiss returning to defend his title in 2007.
“Next year – I don’t know yet, we haven’t thought that far but maybe I will be back. Australia is a great place to train so I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Ageless Aussie Lee Troop finished a solid third in 28:53.31, just over seven seconds behind second placed American Bret Schoolmeester.
But there were more encouraging signs for Australia’s future, this time in the longest track race with 20-year-old Victorian David McNeill running a pleasing 29:05.32 in his debut at the distance.
In the women’s race Lisa-Jane Weightman was the first Australian home in second place, in a time of 33:25.90 to Ruthe’s 33:04.52. Commonwealth Games marathoner, Lauren Shelley was third in 33:59.61.
The meet’s key development events, the annual under 20 3000 metres races name in honour of Robert de Castella and Lisa Ondieki were won by Mitch Frey and Lexy Gilmour in personal best times of 8:17.97 and 9:37.64.