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| Track & Field Athletics
Australia by Graham
Thomas |
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2002 Review & 2003 PreviewThe 2003
season is not so far away for Australia's athletes. The 2002/3
season commences with interclub seasons and schools competitions
around the country from October. The remaining highlights of
2002 include the Australian All-Schools Championships and the famous
Zatopek distance meet in December. Internationally, a number
of important road and cross-country races will be conducted before
the end of the year.
My thoughts on Australian track and
field performances during 2003:
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Women's
Sprints
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100m to 400m
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2002
Performances
11.33
Hewitt
11.38 Cripps
11.53 Lambert
22.69 Hewitt
22.97 Cripps
23.41 Lambert
52.19 Pittman
52.21 Lewis
52.59 Freeman
IAAF
Rankings
100 Hewitt 40
100 Cripps 78
200 Hewitt 14
200 Cripps 29
200 Lambert 57
200 Freeman 66
400 Pittman 68
400 Dressler 70
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The retirement of Melinda
Gainsford has left Lauren Hewitt unchallenged as Australia's
sprint queen. Although Lauren ran a good race at the
Commonwealth Games, her 200m times have not progressed and her
100m performances in Europe have been significantly slower
than her peak form of 2000. It will be interesting to see
if Lauren runs some 400m events during the domestic season, as
it should be apparent she is not currently competitive
internationally at 100m.
Sharon Cripps improved
noticeably in 2002 and hopefully further development can see
her provide Hewitt with close competition over the
short sprints in the 2003 Tesltra A-Series meetings. Sarah Mullan and young Melanie Kleeberg also
progressed in
2002 and these women, along with promising juniors such as
Michelle Cutmore and Sally McLellan, will probably form
Australia's sprint relay team for the next few years.
Nigerian born Gloria Kemosoude, who has been NSW's fastest
sprinter for the past year should also improve in 2003 and, if
she seeks Australian eligibility, should also achieve
international selection.
It is probably more than 20
years since Australian women ranked so low on the world 400m
lists. Catherine Freeman's return in 2003 should improve
this situation, particularly if she clashes regularly with
Jana Pittman, Tamsyn Lewis and other improvers. Veterans
Nova Peris and Tania Van Heer may yet return to the track and
their presence in 400m events could add further depth to this
event.
Australia's makeshift 4x400m
relay team ran particularly well to take the Gold at the
Manchester Commonwealth Games, but our current squad will have
to improve further to be successful against strong World
Championships opposition in 2003.
The fact that Hewitt (200m),
Freeman (400m), Lewis (800m) and Pittman (400 Hurdles) should
all make the world championships team in individual events
means that Australia need only select another one or two
athletes to provide options in qualifying heats.
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Distance
Events
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800m to 10000m
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2002
Performances
1-59.73
Lewis
2-00.0x Andrews
2-03.05 Allen
4-08.54 Jamieson
4-09.15 Johnson
4-09.70 Clarke
14-47.60 Johnson NR
15-32.17 McGregor
15-40.48 Harvey
31-32.04 Power
33-20.72 McCann
IAAF
Rankings
800 Lewis 16
800 Andrews 45
800 Allen 89
1500
Jamieson 35
1500 Clarke 39
1500 Johnson 52
1500 Rollison 58
1500 Walsham 65
5/10 Johnson 12
5/10 Power 25
5/10 Harvey 70
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Tamsyn Lewis has been promising to
break through into world class over 800m for a number of seasons
and perhaps 2003 will be the long-awaited year. Her 2002
form was a little patchy, but her sub 2 minute time in
Manchester was her fastest for two years. Susan Andrews
was unlucky not to be selected in the Commonwealth Games team
and hopefully this may motivate her to improve further over 800m
in the 2003 season.
Sarah Jamieson made a solid return to the track in 2002
after missing the 2001 season and Australia has a promising bunch
of female distance runners who will be competing for World
Championships selection in 2003. Unfortunate injuries to
juniors Georgie Clarke and Melissa Rollison robbed them of a
chance to star at the World Juniors in 2002 and hopefully both
can return to the track during the domestic season.
Benita Johnson enjoyed her best
ever season in 2002, despite losing the Australian 5000m title
when she was upset by the surprising Hayley McGregor. A
Grand Prix victory in Japan, followed by an Oceanian 5000m
record in Berlin and an appearance in the GP and World Cup 3000m
finals give Benita a good chance of scoring a World merit Top
Ten ranking which would be a first for Benita and a first for an
Australian women in a 3000m or 5000m event.
Susie Power continued to
establish an international reputation over 10000m in 2002.
Her clash with Kerryn McCann and others at the Zatopek 10k
should be a highlight as will possible races against Sonia
O'Sullivan during the Australian domestic season. Susie is
also capable of a much faster 5000m race; given quality
opposition, something in the low 15-00s could be expected at her
top. Hopefully Power can have an injury-free preparation
towards the 2003 World Championships as she could well medal in
the 10000m.
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Hurdles
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100m & 400m
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IAAF
Rankings
100 Munro 38
100 Cullen 67
400 Pittman 6
400 Brito 17
400 Price 46
400 Crow 100
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Jacquie Munro and Fiona Cullen began
a fine domestic rivalry in the 2002 Australian season and this
helped both to PB runs during the year. Munro's 13.09 is
the fastest by an Australian for a decade, but her current lack
of basic speed (11.75 PB for 100m) seems likely to prevent her
from dropping her times below 13 seconds.
In the 400m Hurdles, Jana Pittman
went from strength to strength, cementing a World Number 3
ranking through her Commonwealth Games victory, a bronze in the
World Cup and her PB 54.14 time; the second fastest in the world
for the year. Australian Number Two Sonia Brito confirmed
her international ranking with a PB 55.50 effort despite injury
worries throughout the year.
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Jumps
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High Jump, Pole
Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump
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IAAF
Rankings
HJ Price 45
HJ Narrier 93
PV Grigorieva 8
PV Howe 20
PV Isworth 40
PV Dacy 52
PV Ditton 84
LJ Thompson 5
LJ Bogman 35
LJ Oksuz 56
LJ Sutherland 58
LJ Perkins 98
TJ Mladenis 41
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Australian standards in the High
Jump are down compared to previous years and young Petrina Price
is clearly the best in the country. Petrina needs to
improve her PB beyond 1.90m in 2003 to keep progressing towards
world class in this event.
Pole Vaulter Tatiana Grigorieva's
progress stalled in 2002; the first year since taking up the
event in which she has not improved her personal best. A
group of other young Australians improved their 4m plus PBs in
2002 and, with returning national record holder Emma George,
should challenge Grigorieva during the 2003 Australian season.
Queensland Long Jumper Bronwyn
Thompson started 2002 in fine form, with her surprise
Commonwealth record of 7.00m at the Melbourne Grand Prix
meet. Her European season was disappointing however and
she failed in Manchester when she was favourite for Commonwealth
Gold. This loss in Manchester allowed Kiwi Chantal Brunner
to take the Oceanian spot in the World Cup and, as a result,
Thompson might be lucky to sneak a World Top Ten ranking for
2002.
Triple Jumper Nicole Mladenis is
the only Australian triple jumper close to world class and did
well to improve her national record over 14m during 2002.
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Throws
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Shot, Discus,
Hammer, Javelin
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IAAF
Rankings
SP
Haage 92
DIS
Lever 23
DIS Haage 42
HAM Eagles 4
HAM Krueger 22
HAM Di Marco 23
HAM Sosimenko 50
JAV McIntosh 38
JAV Mitchell 81
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After the retirement of a number of
throws stars after the 2000 Olympics, Australian standards are
down in most events and the top ranked athletes are mostly
developing juniors. Shot standards are low, as is the norm
in Australia, and Michelle Haage is the only woman to be able to
exceed 15m regularly.
Alison Lever had a reasonable
season in 2002 and looks likely to retire from the sport,
leaving Monique Nacsa as Australia's only 55m plus
thrower. Javelin thrower Cecilia McIntosh improved in 2002
and did well in the Manchester Games. She will be looking
to achieve consistency over 55m in 2003 and hopefully crack the
60m barrier with a PB throw.
The Hammer Throw features the
strongest Australian depth in one event with Commonwealth
record-holder Bronwyn Eagles the highest ranked Australian
though she disappointed at the Commonwealth Games. In the
absence of defending champion Debbie Sosimenko, due to injury,
Brooke Krueger and Karyne Di Marco improved their PBs and world
rankings during 2002 and were worthy members of the Australian
team at the Commonwealth Games. The 70m barrier could well
be broken during the Telstra A-Series, and it could even be
someone other than current record-holder Bronwyn Eagles who
achieves this feat.
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Other
Events
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Heptathlon
& Road Events
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IAAF
Rankings
HEP
Jamieson 17
HEP Thompson 41
HEP Wheeler 43
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Jane Jamieson made a welcome return
to the Australian team following injury worries since
2000. Her Commonwealth Games victory was well deserved,
though she was well short of her personal best score for the
event. Novice international heptathlete Kylie Wheeler had
a great debut in Manchester, winning silver with her PB
effort. Clare Thompson, Mandy Heath and Sherryl Morrow are
other Australians capable of a 6000 plus score during 2003 and
these five athletes plus improving juniors Lauren Foote and
Leona Bilous should provide a good standard of competition in
domestic multi-event competitions. I would hope that AA
could consider sending a squad of these women to Talence or
Gotzis in 2003.
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World Championships squads have
often been selected on the basis of top 16 performances or
Finals for relay teams. On this criteria, only fifteen
women seem near certainties to gain selection for the Paris Championships
in 2003. These are:
Lauren Hewitt (200m/4x400),
Catherine Freeman (400m/4x400), Tamsyn Lewis (800m/4x400),
Benita Johnson (5000m), Susie Power (10,000m), Kerryn McCann
(Marathon), Jana Pittman (400H/4x400), Sonia Brito (400H/4x400),
Tatiana Grigorieva (PV), Bronwyn Thompson (LJ), Bronwyn Eagles
and two others (HAM), Jane Jamieson (HEP) and Jane Saville
(Walk).
Others with a chance of
selection might be veterans returning to international
competition such as Nova Peris (400m), Emma George (Vault),
Nicole Boegman (LJ) or Debbie Sosimenko (HAM). Improvers
like Kylie Wheeler and promising
juniors Shermin Oksuz (LJ) or Petrina Price (HJ) will all need to improve their
personal bests to have a
chance of World selection.
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ALSO - 2002 Calendar
and 2003 Calendar for Australian & International athletics.
An unofficial, non-profit, just-for-fun, page but © 1995-2003 by Graham Thomas
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