Ross and Batman dead heat
21jan06
SPRINTERS Josh Ross and Daniel Batman came into contact :eek: as they dead-heated in a sensational finish to the 100m at the Queensland athletics championships tonight.
The pair’s shoulders bumped as they crossed the line in 10.47 seconds, 0.04s ahead of former golden boy 
Matt Shirvington, in a desperate race at Brisbane’s QEII arena.
Fellow Commonwealth Games hopeful Paul di Bella finished fourth in 10.62 into a 0.8m head-wind.
The stadium announcer had called Batman, cheered on by wife Nova, as the victor and he was lined up for a post-race interview before a photo confirmed a dead heat.
Batman, who has set a Commonwealth Games A-qualifying time for the 200m but not 100m, then :rolleyes: declined to answer questions and speak to reporters.
Two-time Stawell Gift champion Ross, was disappointed with the time – 0.26 behind the A-qualifying mark – and had also believed he had won.
“It was like a dogfight. I thought I might have just got him,” Ross said.
“That’s the first time in a long time that I’ve done that (made contact).”
Shirvington was the one who was most pleased by the result, making up a gap on his chief rivals for a Games berth after finishing 0.1 behind them last week in Sydney.
Patrick Johnson remains the only Australian male to have posted an A-qualifier leading into the February 2-5 national selection trials.