Aussie Champs 08, Day 1

Thursday, 28 February 2008 Mottram proves he’s ready – Australian Champs Day One

Craig Mottram victorious again in Melbourne (Getty Images)

Brisbane, Australia - Craig Mottram wrapped up his preparation for the IAAF World Indoor championships in Valencia with a powerful last-lap surge to win the 3000m at the Australian championships at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre tonight.

The tall Victorian will fly out tomorrow for Spain where he won the first (in Madrid) of his two World Cup 3000m titles hoping to add the indoor crown to his collection.

“I’m looking forward to competing against the rest of the world now. It should be fun,” Mottram said of the Valencia titles from 7-9 March, following which he will compete in the World Cross-Country championships in Edinburgh on 30 March.

He only took the lead finally tonight with 450m remaining but with a 54 seconds last lap, Mottram (7:48.26) blew open a 40 metres margin over Kenyan Shadrack Kosgei (7:53.72) with Mottram’s rapidly improving training partner Collis Birmingham third in 7:55.47.

Bouncing back after Osaka’s disappointment

After battling a hamstring strain to finish 13th in the 5000m final at last year’s Osaka World Championships, he has fought back superbly this year to break his own national 3000m indoor record in Boston (7:34.50) on 26 January and grab a record sixth national 5000m title last week in Melbourne at the World Athletics Tour meet.

“I can go into next week knowing that I’m fit and I’m ready,” Mottram said, adding that there have been no repercussions from his humbling experience in Osaka.

“If it doesn’t work (in Valencia) then hey, I tried everything I could.

“I’m pretty confident that I can compete well and that it will be another good world championship for me.

“Osaka was a long time ago. It cut deep at the time, but the true measure of a man is how they bounce back.

“I went over to Boston in my first international race since Osaka and put my head down, ran hard, broke records and ran a PB.

“I know that’s long gone and I’m ready for the next challenge which is next week in Valencia.

“… I’m going there to try and win a world championship and I’ve got a good chance.

“There will be some great competition, but that’s distance running, that’s why I do it.”

Mottram said the World Indoor and World Cross titles in March were a good inducement to train well since Osaka and they also served to provide checks and balances in preparing for his overall objective this year, the Olympic Games opening in Beijing on 8 August.

"There’s a little something called the Olympics in August, but World Indoor and World Cross-Country are in the next three weeks and that makes it a little easier because five months is a long time,” Mottram added.

Vili close to 20 metres

In other events on the first day of the 86th Australian Championships, which double this year as the major Olympic team selection trial, visiting New Zealander Valerie Vili was once again outstanding in winning the shot put with 19.54m.

The mighty World titleholder, whose father was English and mother Tongan, was well clear of Tonga’s Ana Po’uhila (17.06m) with Victoria’s Kimberley Mulhall (14.94m) the first Australian in third place. Mulhall is the niece of 1984 Los Angeles Olympic shot put bronze medallist Gael (Mulhall) Martin.

South Australia’s Alwyn Jones, a medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, won the Triple Jump with 16.42m (+0.8m/s) from Newcastle’s Michael Perry (16.05m, +1.4m/s).

The fluctuating winds and occasional spitting rain played tricks on some competitors tonight, not least of whom being former World Youth Long Jump gold medallist Chris Noffke.

The young Queenslander, now coached in the US by World Record holder Mike Powell, had a shocker placing 11th in the qualifying and missing the final with his best mark of 7.47m (-0.8m/s), while his only other measured jump was 7.24m (+3.2m/s).

World Junior champion Robbie Crowther (AIS/Qld), who is training in Canberra under Craig Hilliard - coach of the Sydney Olympic silver medallist Jai Taurima - leads the qualifiers with his second attempt 7.89m (+2.0m/s) from training partner Tim Parravicini (7.75, +2.7m/s) and Japan’s Daisuke Arakawa (7.71m).

Japan’s Hiroaki Doi won the Hammer Throw with 68.70m from South Australian Darren Billett (65.45m).

Queenslander Cal Pearce took the High Jump with a first time clearance of 2.22m but failed three attempts at 2.25m.

Javelin and 100m qualifications

An outstanding Javelin final looks to be in store with a handful of 80m performers all qualifying tonight. American Mike Hazle leads the qualifiers with his 76.68m mark, with Jarrod Bannister (75.17m), William Hamlyn-Harris (73.82m) New Zealand’s Stuart Farquhar (72.44m), Joshua Robinson (71.95m) and Oliver Dziubak (68.24m) all great talents.

In the absence of Josh Ross (NSW), winner for the last four years, the men’s 100m looks wide open with perhaps Victorian teenager Aaron Rouge-Serret planning to stage a palace coup with his heat win in 10.37 (+0.4m/s).
But the seasoned veterans, the Australian Institute of Sport scholarship-holder Patrick Johnson (10.31, +1.8) and Sydney’s Matt Shirvington (10.35, +1.7) will find more.

Ross, 27, withdrew from the nationals after questioning his own desire to run but found sympathy from Shirvington who has had lean times after winning the national 100m five times up to 2002.

“Shirvo” has praised Ross as supremely talented and believes he can still run with the best in the world if he sorts himself out and regains his love of the sport.

400m first round preludes exciting final

The Australian men’s 4x400m team shocked by winning the silver medals at the last Olympics and they look capable of mining more precious metal in Beijing with a new breed of endurance sprinter coming to the fore.

Leading qualifiers into tomorrow’s semi-finals is Kurt Mulcahy, from the NSW north coast country village of Mullumbimby. He put a Rugby League football contract on hold to trial for the Olympic team and was fastest of the four heat winners in 46.47 tonight, just ahead of big Queensland youngster Dylan Grant (46.95).

Commonwealth champion John Steffensen, in his first race since the Osaka semis, won the first heat in 46.78. Fellow Athens Olympic relay medallist, South Australia’s Mark Ormrod, won the second heat in 46.65 - with this season’s revelation Joel Milburn cruising through second in 46.99.

Milburn’s best this southern summer is the 45.19 he ran to win the NSW state title nearly three weeks ago. A slightly torn tendon attachment outside his right knee has kept him out of competition until tonight.

Defending national champion Sean Wroe of Victoria won the other heat in 46.91 from WA’s former national champion Ben Offereins (47.10) and Adelaide’s surprising veteran Duncan Tippins (47.26).

Mike Hurst (Sydney Daily Telegraph) for the IAAF

FROM THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD NEWSPAPER. HERE WE GO AGAIN(ST) STEFFENSEN:rolleyes:

Money talks, Steffensen walks after 400m win

Jessica Halloran
February 29, 2008

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THE prospect of a place at the Beijing Olympics may have John Steffensen’s feet moving, but being paid “a fortune” was all that could get the controversial sprinter talking last night.

Steffensen snubbed the waiting press corps after winning his first heat at the Olympic selection trials and headed straight to the warm-up track, where he gave an exclusive interview to Channel Nine’s 60 minutes.

When reporters followed to observe, 60 Minutes producer Julia Timms gestured to them to clear off. “Can you let us do this interview? He’s not going to talk to you,” Timms said. “We are paying a fortune for this.”

Nine’s investment gives the current affairs crew exclusive access to Steffensen over the Olympic trials at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane.

In his first race in six months, Steffensen won through to tonight’s semi-finals as the third-fastest qualifier with a time of 46.78 seconds. Steffensen’s personal best is 44.73 seconds.

It has been Steffensen’s mouth, not his running, that has brought him most column inches over the summer. In January, he was investigated by Athletics Australia for allegedly verbally abusing Olympic selector Glynnis Nunn-Cearns. Steffensen was later cleared on a technicality after a tribunal hearing.

Steffensen was also upset not to have been pre-selected for the Olympics after narrowly missing a berth in last year’s world championships final in Osaka.

He has complained about having to compete in the Australian domestic season, saying it was taxing on his body. However, the world’s best 400m runner, double world champion and Olympic gold medallist Jeremy Wariner, chose to launch his Beijing campaign in Australia this year.

Until last night, hamstring injuries had kept Steffensen off the track. The 25-year-old said he had not been physically able to compete at recent meetings in Sydney and Melbourne.

Fellow 400m runner Sean Wroe refused to criticise Steffensen over his absences.

“[He’s] done his own preparation and we’ve done ours,” Wroe said. “At the end of the day, you can prepare so many different ways to make it to the Olympics. As long as it works for you.”

The 400m semi-finals are to be completed tonight, with the final tomorrow.

In the 3000m, Craig Mottram took the Australian title in 7 minutes, 48.26 seconds, putting him in good stead for the world indoor championships in Valencia, Spain next weekend. “I was happy with that, that was solid,” Mottram said. “I can go in to next week knowing I’m fit and ready. I’m pretty confident.”

Mottram is rebuilding his confidence after a devastating world championship campaign last year. Mottram, carrying a hamstring injury, finished 13th.

“Osaka was a long time ago,” Mottram said. “It hurt. You know, the true measure of a man is how they bounce back. I went over to Boston … I put my head down, I ran hard and broke records. So I know that’s long gone and I’m ready for the next challenge.”

In the men’s 100 metres, Patrick Johnson (10.31) and Matt Shirvington (10.35) both advanced to the semi-finals, while Tamsyn Lewis qualified fastest in the women’s 400m with a run of 52.79.

The Australian Olympic squad will be finalised by June 23.

Olympic trials

DAY TWO HIGHLIGHTS
MEN’S POLE VAULT (7.00pm)

Final: He’s won gold at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games, and recently joined the prestigious six-metre club. Now Steve Hooker hopes to add an Olympic title to his list of achievements.

MEN’S SHOT PUT (8.05pm)

Final: Commonwealth Games discus gold medallist Scott Martin has reaped the benefits of being forced to focus on shot put due to a foot injury, breaking the Australian shot put record with a throw of 21.27 metres in Melbourne last week. Former national record-holder Justin Anlezark will be his major competition.

WOMEN’S AND MEN’S 3000m STEEPLECHASE (9.08pm, 9.33pm)

Finals: Tasmania’s Donna MacFarlane is the strong favourite in the women’s event, while Martin Dent, Peter Nowill and Youcef Abdi are all prospects in the men’s.

MEN’S 100m (9.55pm)

Final: The nation’s fastest men - headlined by Matt Shirvington - will battle it out to keep their chances of selection for the Beijing Games alive.

  • Sydney times

AND HERE’S THE AUSTRALIAN’S TAKE ON STEFFENSEN’S “NO SPEAKIES”

Steffensen’s time for talk now over

Jenny McAsey | February 28, 2008
HE is not speaking but he is running.

After a summer of discontent, Australia’s top 400m runner John Steffensen will put the troubles of the past few months behind him tonight when he attempts to secure a spot on the Olympic team to Beijing.

Steffensen’s brouhaha with Athletics Australia (AA) began late last year when he was not given early pre-selection for the Games.

This weekend, at the national selection trials in Brisbane, the wild boy of Australian athletics can take matters out of the selectors’ hands and guarantee himself an Olympic berth by winning the national 400m title.

But it won’t be a fait accompli for the 2006 Commonwealth champion, who has not raced this season after he was given a medical exemption by AA.

Steffensen’s troublesome hamstrings have to withstand a first-round heat, semi-final and then a final over the next three days.

Apart from his own body, the challenges are likely to come from Victorian Sean Wroe, the 2007 national champion, and Joel Milburn who ran a breakthrough personal best of 45.19sec three weeks ago.

Another serious contender, Clinton Hill, who won an Olympic silver relay medal with Steffensen in 2004, has withdrawn because his wife is overdue to deliver their first baby.

Hill realises he may be putting his Beijing selection in jeopardy but says the birth is more important.

Hill spoke to Steffensen on Tuesday.

“He didn’t give much away as to how he is going but I assume he will be OK if he is entered to run,” Hill said.

Steffensen has not given much away to anyone lately. He has refused to speak to The Australian since January, when the paper reported he had confronted AA selector Glynis Nunn-Cearns about his failure to gain Olympic pre-selection.

He was cleared on a technicality by an AA disciplinary tribunal in a decision which upset Nunn-Cearns. She was concerned that the allegations were not heard.

If Steffensen can let his legs do the yapping this weekend, it is a fair bet his indiscretions will mostly be forgotten by a sport desperate for stars.

World

IS THAT FORUM MEMBER AND COACH, YOUNGY’S ATHLETE?!

I believe it is. Not bad for an older bloke.