Aussies 3:01.52; 3:02.53

[kitkat1]

CANBERRA, Jan 26- Australia’s top 4x400m men’s relay team has run the fifth fastest time by national relay squad at the Canberra Athletics Classic to virtually assure themselves a spot at this year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

The Australian A team of Joel Milburn, Dylan Grant, Mark Ormrod and national champion Sean Wroe clocked 3 minutes 01.52 seconds, a time that only six other nations bettered in 2007.

The Australia B squad of Kurt Mulcahy, Tristian Thomas, Daniel Batman and Clinton Hill, was hot on their tail in 3:02.53, the tenth fastest time by an Australian 4x400m relay squad.

[THAT’S GREAT DEPTH AT A VERY GOOD LEVEL, FOR THE AUSSIE MEN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE BEST AUSSIE 400 RUNNER - JOHN STEFFENSEN - WAS NOT ON THE TRACK THERE. kk:) ]

Unfortunately the female 4x400m relay squad of Caitlin Pincott (nee Willis), Jaimee-Lee Starr, Olivia Tauro and Tamsyn Lewis clocked 3:32.71, a time that will need improvement to be in with a chance of qualifying for Beijing.

The women’s 4x100m team of Lauren Hewitt, Sally McLellan, Crystal Attenborough and Jody Henry ran 44.26 but the time was outside of the country’s two best runs of 2007, which produced 43.62 in May and 43.91 in September, both at the Osaka World Championships.

The men’s 4x100m team of Aaron Rouge-Serret, Josh Ross, Isaac Ntiamoah and Matt Shirvington finished second in 39.64 to a pumped-up New Zealand squad which clocked 39.60.

The Australia B team of Adrian Mott, Steve Tucker, Otis Gowa and Henry Mitchell ran 39.83 to finish third.

The times by the Australian teams were well outside those set by the national relay team in Osaka of 38.73 when Australia just missed the World Championship final.

Earlier today Jared Tallent won the 20km walk, with the 23-year-old claiming a B-qualifier for the August Olympic Games with a time of 1:24.20.

Tallent has made clear his intentions to compete over both the 20km and 50km distances in Beijing and is halfway there, having earned nomination to the team after a stunning win in December’s 50km championships in Melbourne.

The highlight of the Canberra Classic came yesterday when Sally McLellan ran the fastest 100m hurdles time by an Australian on home soil and was just one hundredth of a second off her personal best and national record for the event.
The 21-year-old Gold Coast flyer could hardly believe it when she clocked 12.72s in the 100m hurdles after a sluggish 100m sprint earlier in the day.
I felt like crap after that 100m,'' McLellan said. My legs were not wanting to move today. I was expecting like a 13 second. I have no idea how I did that.’’
It was McLellan’s second fastest time ever in the hurdles - her best being 12.71s at last year’s world championships - and bodes incredibly well leading up to the Olympics given she is in the midst of a heavy training schedule.
Queensland javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister (82.60m) joined McLellan as the only Australian athlete to record an Olympic A qualifying standard.

Meanwhile on the Gold Coast Canberra’s John Jakeman won the 25th Australia Day University 120m Gift in a photo finish.
Jakeman, a 23-year-old Australian University student, just edged out Gold Coast runner Tyson Smith in a blanket finish.
Toowoomba’s Kieran Nielson, the back marker in the final, finished third.
Queensland junior 400m star Jacqueline Davies took out the women’s 120m gift in dashing style ahead of Gold Coast duo Bec Brown and Nicole Dart.

[kitkat1]

@kitkat1

CANBERRA, Jan 26- Australia’s top 4x400m men’s relay team has run the fifth fastest time by national relay squad at the Canberra Athletics Classic to virtually assure themselves a spot at this year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

The Australian A team of Joel Milburn, Dylan Grant, Mark Ormrod and national champion Sean Wroe clocked 3 minutes 01.52 seconds, a time that only six other nations bettered in 2007.

The Australia B squad of Kurt Mulcahy, Tristian Thomas, Daniel Batman and Clinton Hill, was hot on their tail in 3:02.53, the tenth fastest time by an Australian 4x400m relay squad.

[THAT’S GREAT DEPTH AT A VERY GOOD LEVEL, FOR THE AUSSIE MEN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE BEST AUSSIE 400 RUNNER - JOHN STEFFENSEN - WAS NOT ON THE TRACK THERE. kk:) ]

Unfortunately the female 4x400m relay squad of Caitlin Pincott (nee Willis), Jaimee-Lee Starr, Olivia Tauro and Tamsyn Lewis clocked 3:32.71, a time that will need improvement to be in with a chance of qualifying for Beijing.

The women’s 4x100m team of Lauren Hewitt, Sally McLellan, Crystal Attenborough and Jody Henry ran 44.26 but the time was outside of the country’s two best runs of 2007, which produced 43.62 in May and 43.91 in September, both at the Osaka World Championships.

The men’s 4x100m team of Aaron Rouge-Serret, Josh Ross, Isaac Ntiamoah and Matt Shirvington finished second in 39.64 to a pumped-up New Zealand squad which clocked 39.60.

The Australia B team of Adrian Mott, Steve Tucker, Otis Gowa and Henry Mitchell ran 39.83 to finish third.

The times by the Australian teams were well outside those set by the national relay team in Osaka of 38.73 when Australia just missed the World Championship final.

Earlier today Jared Tallent won the 20km walk, with the 23-year-old claiming a B-qualifier for the August Olympic Games with a time of 1:24.20.

Tallent has made clear his intentions to compete over both the 20km and 50km distances in Beijing and is halfway there, having earned nomination to the team after a stunning win in December’s 50km championships in Melbourne.

The highlight of the Canberra Classic came yesterday when Sally McLellan ran the fastest 100m hurdles time by an Australian on home soil and was just one hundredth of a second off her personal best and national record for the event.
The 21-year-old Gold Coast flyer could hardly believe it when she clocked 12.72s in the 100m hurdles after a sluggish 100m sprint earlier in the day.
I felt like crap after that 100m,'' McLellan said. My legs were not wanting to move today. I was expecting like a 13 second. I have no idea how I did that.’’
It was McLellan’s second fastest time ever in the hurdles - her best being 12.71s at last year’s world championships - and bodes incredibly well leading up to the Olympics given she is in the midst of a heavy training schedule.
Queensland javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister (82.60m) joined McLellan as the only Australian athlete to record an Olympic A qualifying standard.

At the last Olympics, men’s 4x400m relay final

gold: 2:55.91 USA
silver: 3:00.60 AUS
bronze: 3:00.90 NGR
4th: 3:00.99 JPN
5th: 3:01.07 GBR
6th: 3:01.74 BAH
7th: 3:02.22 GER
8th: 3:02.49 BOT

[kitkat1]

@kitkat1

CANBERRA, Jan 26- Australia’s top 4x400m men’s relay team has run the fifth fastest time by national relay squad at the Canberra Athletics Classic to virtually assure themselves a spot at this year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

The Australian A team of Joel Milburn, Dylan Grant, Mark Ormrod and national champion Sean Wroe clocked 3 minutes 01.52 seconds, a time that only six other nations bettered in 2007.

The Australia B squad of Kurt Mulcahy, Tristian Thomas, Daniel Batman and Clinton Hill, was hot on their tail in 3:02.53, the tenth fastest time by an Australian 4x400m relay squad.

[THAT’S GREAT DEPTH AT A VERY GOOD LEVEL, FOR THE AUSSIE MEN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE BEST AUSSIE 400 RUNNER - JOHN STEFFENSEN - WAS NOT ON THE TRACK THERE. kk:) ]

Unfortunately the female 4x400m relay squad of Caitlin Pincott (nee Willis), Jaimee-Lee Starr, Olivia Tauro and Tamsyn Lewis clocked 3:32.71, a time that will need improvement to be in with a chance of qualifying for Beijing.

The women’s 4x100m team of Lauren Hewitt, Sally McLellan, Crystal Attenborough and Jody Henry ran 44.26 but the time was outside of the country’s two best runs of 2007, which produced 43.62 in May and 43.91 in September, both at the Osaka World Championships.

The men’s 4x100m team of Aaron Rouge-Serret, Josh Ross, Isaac Ntiamoah and Matt Shirvington finished second in 39.64 to a pumped-up New Zealand squad which clocked 39.60.

The Australia B team of Adrian Mott, Steve Tucker, Otis Gowa and Henry Mitchell ran 39.83 to finish third.

The times by the Australian teams were well outside those set by the national relay team in Osaka of 38.73 when Australia just missed the World Championship final.

Earlier today Jared Tallent won the 20km walk, with the 23-year-old claiming a B-qualifier for the August Olympic Games with a time of 1:24.20.

Tallent has made clear his intentions to compete over both the 20km and 50km distances in Beijing and is halfway there, having earned nomination to the team after a stunning win in December’s 50km championships in Melbourne.

The highlight of the Canberra Classic came yesterday when Sally McLellan ran the fastest 100m hurdles time by an Australian on home soil and was just one hundredth of a second off her personal best and national record for the event.
The 21-year-old Gold Coast flyer could hardly believe it when she clocked 12.72s in the 100m hurdles after a sluggish 100m sprint earlier in the day.
I felt like crap after that 100m,'' McLellan said. My legs were not wanting to move today. I was expecting like a 13 second. I have no idea how I did that.’’
It was McLellan’s second fastest time ever in the hurdles - her best being 12.71s at last year’s world championships - and bodes incredibly well leading up to the Olympics given she is in the midst of a heavy training schedule.
Queensland javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister (82.60m) joined McLellan as the only Australian athlete to record an Olympic A qualifying standard.

Meanwhile on the Gold Coast Canberra’s John Jakeman won the 25th Australia Day University 120m Gift in a photo finish.
Jakeman, a 23-year-old Australian University student, just edged out Gold Coast runner Tyson Smith in a blanket finish.
Toowoomba’s Kieran Nielson, the back marker in the final, finished third.
Queensland junior 400m star Jacqueline Davies took out the women’s 120m gift in dashing style ahead of Gold Coast duo Bec Brown and Nicole Dart.

Things are starting to happen Downunder: Report has come through of Steven Hooker becoming the 13th man in history to pole vault 6.00m. He did it in a club competition in Perth on January 27, 08.
Good way to start an Olympic year!

[Sharmer]

@kitkat1

CANBERRA, Jan 26- Australia’s top 4x400m men’s relay team has run the fifth fastest time by national relay squad at the Canberra Athletics Classic to virtually assure themselves a spot at this year’s Beijing Olympic Games.

The Australian A team of Joel Milburn, Dylan Grant, Mark Ormrod and national champion Sean Wroe clocked 3 minutes 01.52 seconds, a time that only six other nations bettered in 2007.

The Australia B squad of Kurt Mulcahy, Tristian Thomas, Daniel Batman and Clinton Hill, was hot on their tail in 3:02.53, the tenth fastest time by an Australian 4x400m relay squad.

[THAT’S GREAT DEPTH AT A VERY GOOD LEVEL, FOR THE AUSSIE MEN, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE BEST AUSSIE 400 RUNNER - JOHN STEFFENSEN - WAS NOT ON THE TRACK THERE. kk:) ]

Unfortunately the female 4x400m relay squad of Caitlin Pincott (nee Willis), Jaimee-Lee Starr, Olivia Tauro and Tamsyn Lewis clocked 3:32.71, a time that will need improvement to be in with a chance of qualifying for Beijing.

The women’s 4x100m team of Lauren Hewitt, Sally McLellan, Crystal Attenborough and Jody Henry ran 44.26 but the time was outside of the country’s two best runs of 2007, which produced 43.62 in May and 43.91 in September, both at the Osaka World Championships.

The men’s 4x100m team of Aaron Rouge-Serret, Josh Ross, Isaac Ntiamoah and Matt Shirvington finished second in 39.64 to a pumped-up New Zealand squad which clocked 39.60.

The Australia B team of Adrian Mott, Steve Tucker, Otis Gowa and Henry Mitchell ran 39.83 to finish third.

The times by the Australian teams were well outside those set by the national relay team in Osaka of 38.73 when Australia just missed the World Championship final.

Earlier today Jared Tallent won the 20km walk, with the 23-year-old claiming a B-qualifier for the August Olympic Games with a time of 1:24.20.

Tallent has made clear his intentions to compete over both the 20km and 50km distances in Beijing and is halfway there, having earned nomination to the team after a stunning win in December’s 50km championships in Melbourne.

The highlight of the Canberra Classic came yesterday when Sally McLellan ran the fastest 100m hurdles time by an Australian on home soil and was just one hundredth of a second off her personal best and national record for the event.
The 21-year-old Gold Coast flyer could hardly believe it when she clocked 12.72s in the 100m hurdles after a sluggish 100m sprint earlier in the day.
I felt like crap after that 100m,'' McLellan said. My legs were not wanting to move today. I was expecting like a 13 second. I have no idea how I did that.’’
It was McLellan’s second fastest time ever in the hurdles - her best being 12.71s at last year’s world championships - and bodes incredibly well leading up to the Olympics given she is in the midst of a heavy training schedule.
Queensland javelin thrower Jarrod Bannister (82.60m) joined McLellan as the only Australian athlete to record an Olympic A qualifying standard.

Meanwhile on the Gold Coast Canberra’s John Jakeman won the 25th Australia Day University 120m Gift in a photo finish.
Jakeman, a 23-year-old Australian University student, just edged out Gold Coast runner Tyson Smith in a blanket finish.
Toowoomba’s Kieran Nielson, the back marker in the final, finished third.
Queensland junior 400m star Jacqueline Davies took out the women’s 120m gift in dashing style ahead of Gold Coast duo Bec Brown and Nicole Dart.

Apparently Cliff sms John that some of guys posted 44s splits. :eek:

[los]

This is the reason that JS would be a touch concerned.

Sean Wroe is a sub 45s man now
Clinton Hill is finding his form again and is capable of 45.0x

That right there is 2 other guys capable of A-qualifier.
Then throw in milburn who may/may not get the mark soon, along with dylan grant.
Puts a tough of pressure on him.

[Sharmer]

@los

This is the reason that JS would be a touch concerned.

Sean Wroe is a sub 45s man now
Clinton Hill is finding his form again and is capable of 45.0x

That right there is 2 other guys capable of A-qualifier.
Then throw in milburn who may/may not get the mark soon, along with dylan grant.
Puts a tough of pressure on him.

Milburn & Grant are a few years away. Clinton Hill has had on going achilles problems for a long time. Sean Wroe is probably the guy who may get within 0.5 of him. I think if Wroe wants to run sub 45 than he needs to get technically better.

[TMSSF]

Would be cool to see these guys at Penn in late April!

[nanny69]

the 4 x 4 squads are heading to the states while the 4 x 1’s go to osaka for races

[Dazed]

@TMSSF

Would be cool to see these guys at Penn in late April!

I didn’t think you could get ratified times at Penn due to the track orientation.

[kitkat1]

@Sharmer

Milburn & Grant are a few years away. Clinton Hill has had on going achilles problems for a long time. Sean Wroe is probably the guy who may get within 0.5 of him. I think if Wroe wants to run sub 45 than he needs to get technically better.

The more competition there, maybe the better for Steffensen in that even if the Aussie Fed picks two guys after the Olympic trials, they would be completely stupid to allocate the third discretionary berth when the only (so-far) proven individual race performer is waiting in the wings. It worked that way for Darren Clark in 1984 and again in 1988 when he missed the Olympic trials and there were some 44 guys around then in both years. But there will always (hopefully) be guys with potential and then there are guys who have delivered with performance. Steffensen has the numbers on the board and while I don’t have a problem with the Aussie Fed overlooking him (or Sally McLellan etc) for pre-selection I think they would be nuts to leave him out. I’m sure they wouldn’t do it. He is the only one who has gone on with the job since the Athens Olympics where all the other relay stars were first-round blowouts.

[TMSSF]

@Dazed

I didn’t think you could get ratified times at Penn due to the track orientation.

I do recall some performances from Penn that were used as qualifiers to meet world qualifying standards.
http://iaaf.org/statistics/standards/xml=helsinki_2005/index.html
http://www.iaaf.org/documents/pdf/standards/WCH07/2007%20Relay%20qualifying%20events%20Osaka.pdf

[Sharmer]

@los

This is the reason that JS would be a touch concerned.

Sean Wroe is a sub 45s man now
Clinton Hill is finding his form again and is capable of 45.0x

That right there is 2 other guys capable of A-qualifier.
Then throw in milburn who may/may not get the mark soon, along with dylan grant.
Puts a tough of pressure on him.

I passed on your sentiments to John. He wanted to know your name.

[Dazed]

I just thought I’d let people on the board know what the selection criteria requires athletes to do as many seem to think its easier than it really is.

The only way to gain automatic selection is to run 2 A qualifiers DURING the domestic season, in separate meets AND win nationals. After that it is all selectors discretion.

[jumper]

What ever the fuck happened to Ben Offereins?

[Sharmer]

@Sharmer

I passed on your sentiments to John. He wanted to know your name.

I found this on your training log

“Was a consistent 48s 400m runner up until the 2003/04 season (couldnt quite get to where i wanted to be), have/had achilles tendinitis and calf tendinosis - always flared up if too much speed work, or too much work on tartan track. So often missed sessions, recovery between sessions was longer.”

With some other clues = Mr Matthew Masselos . Now I can add a name to those sentiments.

[los]

And your point?

Im not trying to get into any slanging match.
It was pretty obvious who i was - for those who take notice it doesnt take a genius to work that out.

But what are you getting at?
I was just providing some healthy debate that there are other 400m athletes around in Australia that can provide competition and maybe qualifiers…
Similarly in Darren Clarke’s day - there were other guys capable of A-Qualifiers. Regardless of what happened afterwards

You believe im some sort of bizarre threat to John so you can pass on my comments to him? HAH!

[Sharmer]

@los

And your point?

Im not trying to get into any slanging match.
It was pretty obvious who i was - for those who take notice it doesnt take a genius to work that out.

But what are you getting at?
I was just providing some healthy debate that there are other 400m athletes around in Australia that can provide competition and maybe qualifiers…
Similarly in Darren Clarke’s day - there were other guys capable of A-Qualifiers. Regardless of what happened afterwards

You believe im some sort of bizarre threat to John so you can pass on my comments to him? HAH!

If you look at John’s international performances, they’re on another league compared to anyone else in the country (M 400s). Last season in Canberra, Wroe ran 45.3 and talked himself up. Look at what happened at the STC - he got flogged!

Its just good to know who the doubters are. If you think that he has to worry about the locals, than I am more than happy to pass that info to him.

[los]

Not saying that he should or shouldnt be worried about local athletes. One way or another
Just making people aware there are other 400m athletes in the country - not just JS.
Yes, JS is the top guy, no one can argue that. He has done well for himself - no doubt about it

I dont think there are many people here doubting JS ’ international performances or his potential in anyway. Good luck to JS for the rest of the season, i along with a lot of other people reading the forum will be following him for the next 7mths or so.

And as Dazed pointed out with the selection criteria - its obvious that even if JS doesnt run nationals, he will still be selected (with a couple of good runs in europe)

[Sharmer]

@los

Not saying that he should or shouldnt be worried about local athletes. One way or another
Just making people aware there are other 400m athletes in the country - not just JS.
Yes, JS is the top guy, no one can argue that. He has done well for himself - no doubt about it

I dont think there are many people here doubting JS ’ international performances or his potential in anyway. Good luck to JS for the rest of the season, i along with a lot of other people reading the forum will be following him for the next 7mths or so.

And as Dazed pointed out with the selection criteria - its obvious that even if JS doesnt run nationals, he will still be selected (with a couple of good runs in europe)

peace

• looks like ur no doubter after all.

[bigmac]

@Sharmer

peace

• looks like ur no doubter after all.

My last words on this JS stuff.

Sharmer,
Wishing that other runners challenge and even go past JS, does not mean that they wish JS to fail or doubt his ability. And just because not all forum posters share your level of adulation, does not automatically mean they are against him.

On recent form, JS in the no.1 400m runner in the country, no doubts. And he is very likely to be the no.1 representative come Beijing. However, if 3 low 44s or less runners turn up tomorrow, then he is to be dumped like a stone. That is the cruel nature of elite sport.

Here is to the dream about the Aussie 1-2-3 in the 400m final, whoever they may be, and lots of love in the forums.