2024 Australian Championships: NSW team - things to watch

7 April 2024

2024 Australian Championships: NSW team - things to watch

Next Thursday the four-day Australian Athletics Championships will be held in Adelaide. They also double as the Olympic trials, and in this modern era are a very high scoring points competition towards qualification for the Paris Olympics.

Here is some of the background of the NSW athletes in the hunt for Paris selection.

• Combined Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers have won six high jump global medals in the last three years. They are not only greats of Australian high jumping but greats of Australian track and field. We are living in fortunate times to witness this pair competing at our competitions.

• Coffee Club podcasters Morgan McDonald and Olli Hoare are back from their home in Boulder. Morgan races in the 5000m and Olli 1500m and maybe 5000m. It is the first competition in Australia for Morgan since he placed eight in the 5000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – six years ago. Prior to those Games, he was involved in one of the most amazing Australian Championships races, the men’s 5000m in stifling heat on the Gold Coast when he defeated David McNeill and Stewart McSweyn, ahead of Pat Tiernan (4th), Jack Rayner (5th) and Sam McEntee (6th). Morgan, a new name to some, has complied an incredible international career record, competing at fourth track world championships and the Tokyo Olympics. Olli and Morgan face incredible fields in the 1500m and 5000m.

• Can Luke van Ratingen defend his 400m title over Queensland’s Olympic qualifier Reece Holder? What form is the most successful 400m athlete in this race’s history (with 6 wins) – Steve Solomon? With this wave of 400m progression in Australia, they are on track to run well in the Bahamas next month and press their claims for Olympic qualification.

• Connor Murphy looks to be on the cusp of a breakthrough following a summer of significant progress already. He is now the longest Australian triple jumper for 12 years and set to become just the sixth over 17 metres.

• World Para Athletics Championships silver medallists Mali Lovell has hit form recently, clocking National records and PBs into the wind at the NSW Championships. Can she go sub-30 in the T36 200m in Adelaide?

• Last season NSW dominated the 110m hurdles with Mitch Lightfoot winning the National title and Nick Andrews and Jacob McCorry competing at the Budapest world championships. But this season they are under pressure from National leader Sam Hurwood (QLD), Sydney Track Classic winner Chris Douglas (VIC) and the Maurie Plant meet winner Tayleb Willis (VIC). A couple of tenths separate all six.

• In the quarter-mile hurdles NSW‘s depth and regular racing against quality competition sees them primed and ready to take on some quality interstaters. NSW’s contingent, led by title favourite Tom Hunt, include Mark Fokas, Matthew Crowe, Rohan Laurendet, Jack McFadden and Bryce Collins. Ones to watch will be Angus Proudfoot (ACT), Conor Fry (VIC), Joshua Hook (WA) and Kyle Bennett (QLD).

• It is a welcome home to former Trinity shot putter Alex Kolesnikoff, currently studying at Harvard. His best putt in Australia was 19.81m in his last season down under in 2021. Since then he has exceeded 20 metres on five occasions with a best of 20.69m last year and has already hit 20.45m indoors this year. In Olympic history Australia has only qualified seven athletes and Alex looks on target to add his name to that exclusive group.

• Going under the radar this year has been Ed Trippas who looks the favourite to not just win the National steeplechase title but head to his second Olympics. He has casually won the two Track Classic steeples (Canberra and Adelaide) and destroyed his flat 3000m PB by 23 seconds in Sydney.

• Luke Boyes has been nothing short of amazing in the half-mile this summer. The 2022 world junior semi-finals has put behind him and injury-marred 2023 season to this year clock five PBs in six races, now down to 1:45.45 - #14 Australian all-time. He has the challenge of Olympic finalist Peter Bol (whom he defeated last week) and teenager Peyton Craig.

• Tokyo 400m Olympian Bendere Oboya is back this summer and in one 800m race took nearly three seconds off her PB as she jumped from #41 to #5 Australian all-time. But we know the challenge ahead for her – National 800m record holder Catriona Bisset, world championships 800m semi-finalist Abbey Caldwell and National junior 800/1500m record holder Claudia Hollingsworth; amongst others.

• Sarah Carli should have no trouble defending her National 400m hurdles title as she chases an Olympic qualifier. Her 55.37 in Canberra was her second fastest on home soil.

• Jessica Hull has entered for the 1500m and 5000m events, the same double she won last year. But this is an Olympic year and there is no double incredible competition. The four fastest in Australian 1500m history, plus number 7 have entered, while there is similar competition in the 5000m with four of the top-6 ever. They include new National 10,000m record holder Lauren Ryan, Jess’s NSW teammate and Zatopek champion Rose Davies and SA’s Izzy Batt-Doyle.

• World championship medallist Mackenzie Little has very well credentialled competition in the javelin, from national record holder Kathryn Mitchell and 2-time world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, but Mackenzie has had the wood on them in the last year.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Tom Hunt 400m hurdles (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)