Johnson’s love affair with Perth continues
By Alex Malcolm
WA’s new athletics stadium is fast becoming a favourite amongst the nation’s best athletes after giving up two Commonwealth A-qualifiers on a cool and breezy Friday night.
Australian record-holder Patrick Johnson has set a blistering benchmark for the rest of the nation’s sprinters to chase by clocking an A-qualifier in stunning fashion.
Dane Richter ran a smooth 400m hurdles in 52.88 to show that it isn’t just the sprinters enjoying the perfect track conditions at Perth’s new stadium.
But the sprinters do love it. Johnson is contemplating permanent residency in Perth having now run four of Australia’s fastest six times at the venue in 2010. He will start a warm favourite at the national championships in April and he will receive a warm reception from the Western Australian crowd as well who have adopted him after the show he has put on in the last week.