NEWS FROM ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA WEBSITE.kk
Thursday, 14 June 2007
Ross romps home with win in Prague
Four-time Australian champion Joshua Ross has blown away the rest of the 100m field at the Josef Odlozil Memorial meet in Prague overnight.
In only the second outing of his European campaign, the 26-year-old recorded a swift 10.13 (+0.9), with Slovakian Matic Osovnikar (10.19) and Jamaican Ricardo Williams (10.19) picking up the remaining places.
The time is his fastest ever recorded outside Australia and fourth fastest ever, indicating that he is coming close to the sizzling speed that resulted in a personal best time of 10.08 in Brisbane at the Telstra National Championships in March – a time which remains the seventh fastest in the world this year.
Still endeavouring to produce that all-important world championships A-Qualifier in the 800m (2.00.00), eleven-time national champion Tamsyn Lewis had her first hit out of the European season at the Stavanger Games in Norway overnight.
Crossing the line in second place, the 28-year-old was outside her target finishing in 2:02.91 but she will be pushed by an elite field in Ostrava (June 27) and other high profile meets in the next few weeks. Kenyan Faith Macharia the winner in 2.02.49.
Two Australians tasted victory in the Norwegian meet with three-time national champion Nick Bromley (800m – 1.48.59) and 2007 national champion Benn Harradine (discus – 57.29m) producing outstanding results.
After taking out the 1500m title at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in a personal best time of 3.39.62 on the weekend, Collis Birmingham finished fourth in the 3000m recording 7.56.13. Kenya’s Shadrack Kosgei (7.51.56) and Bernard Kiplagat (7.51.60) took out the top placings.
NSWIS athlete Jeremy Roff finished eighth in 1.51.74 over 800 metres.
Craig Mottram (mile), Sarah Jamieson (1500m), Donna MacFarlane (3000m steeplechase) and Tamsyn Lewis (400m) will all compete in the first leg of the lucrative IAAF Golden League series in Oslo tomorrow (Friday) night.
After finishing third in Arles two weeks ago, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kylie Wheeler will contend the next edition of the IAAF World Combined Events Challenge in Ratingen, Germany over the weekend.
A full preview of this weekend’s action can be found on www.athletics.com.au this afternoon.