13.01.2007
Corrigan conjures up Lewis defeat at Sydney Track Classic
Seven-time national champion Tamsyn Lewis has tasted a rare defeat at the hands of a fellow Australian over 800m in a high quality race at the Resi Sydney Track Classic in Sydney.
Lewis, who is returning to the 800m after two seasons concentrating on the 400m, produced her fastest time since the lead-up to the Athens Olympics, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the fast finishing ACT athlete Lisa Corrigan, who produced a brilliantly timed run to slice nearly three seconds from her personal best.
The Commonwealth Games 1500m finalist’s winning time of 2:01.92 shaded Lewis’ 2:02.17, breathing life into the women’s 800m in Australia and both athletes’ hopes of reaching the world championships A-qualifying standard of 2:00.00. Victorian Madeleine Pape also raced to a massive personal best, finishing third in 2:03.68.
Lewis raced through the first lap in 59.3 seconds and held a 10m lead over Corrigan who steadily closed the gap over the final lap to record a memorable win. Corrigan’s previous best was 2:04.54 set in 2004.
Racing into strong headwinds, the conditions weren’t ideal for fast times in the sprints.
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In the men’s 100m reigning national champion Joshua Ross once again demonstrated his good early season form, racing to a convincing win in 10.44 (-2.0mps), ahead of the man he defeated in Perth last weekend, Sydney-based Nigerian Anthony Alozie (10.61) with Commonwealth Games teammate Ambrose Ezenwa third in 10.75.
Dual national champion Sally McLellan just edged out fellow Queenslander Melanie Kleeberg in the women’s 100m 11.78 to 11.88 into a -1.5mps head wind. It was a Queensland 1-2-3 with hurdles specialist Fiona Cullen third in 11.89.
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In the men’s 800m, dual national champion Nick Bromley won an entertaining affair in a time of 1:48.82, ahead of the much improved Matthew Hammond (NSW) who broke 1:50 for the first time with his 1:49.04. Werner Botha (NSW) was third in 1:50.67.
Telstra Zatopek winner Bradley Woods (NSW) showed his victory in Melbourne before Christmas was no fluke, winning in Sydney in 3:42.82, ahead of Commonwealth Games finalist Jeremy Roff (NSW) 3:43.14 and the ACT’s Philo Saunders in 3:44.09. Woods followed the pacemaker to go through 800m at 1:55 at 800m, with a 10m gap to Roff and national champion Lachlan Chisholm who withdrew just after half way.
Sydney University’s Emma Rilen produced a front running effort in the women’s 5000m, which doubled as the NSW title, taking the lead after the first lap and not being challenged from that point onwards. After passing through the first three kilometers with roughly even splits in a time of 9:39, the strong headwind in the front straight caused Rilen to tire over the final two kilometers. Her winning time of 16: 17.53 left her almost 10 seconds clear of second place getter Eliza Stewart (UTS Norths) 16:26.61 whilst junior Rebecca Lowe (Randwick Botany) clocked a 30 second personal best to claim the bronze medal (17:04.99).
In the men’s 5000m it was Mark Tucker (St George) who claimed the NSW title in 13:56.09, just outlasting Victorian David McNeill (13:56.47) and Queensland steeplechase specialist Peter Nowill in third (14:00.46).
The highlight of the field events was the men’s long jump where 2005 world youth champion Chris Noffke (QLD) produced his longest ever leap – a wind assisted 8.05m (+2.9) - to defeat world junior champion and national junior record holder Robbie Crowther who had a best jump of 7.94m. Noffke’s leap was 5cm better than Crowther’s national junior record of 8.00m, however the illegal wind denies the Queenslander the record and a world championships B-qualifying, however the effort shows the talented 19-year-old is back on track after the disappointment of not making the final of the world juniors in Beijing last August.
West Australian Ellen Pettitt won the high jump with a clearance of 1.83m, ahead of Claire Mallett (1.81m) and Petrina Price (1.75m). Fellow West Australian Kimberley Mickle was just 21cm short of her personal best in winning the javelin. In the men’s triple jump, Commonwealth Games finalist Alwyn Jones (SA) scored a comfortable win with 16.20m (+3.2)
Recently married Jamiee-Lee Starr (nee Hoebergen) won the women’s 400m in 53.13, whilst AIS-based South Australian Mark Ormrod won the men’s race in 46.09.
Athletics Australia’s national series now moves to Brisbane next Saturday for the Australian Athletics Cup intestate match (20 January) followed by Hobart (9 February).
The 2007 Telstra A-Series meets will be held in Canberra (27 January), Sydney (17 February) and Melbourne (2 March) ahead of the Telstra Australian Championships in Brisbane (9-11 March).
Full results available at www.sydneytrackclassic.com