Australian Championships Day 5: Race Walkers and Laura Roderick shine

Published Thu 31 Mar 2022

30 March 2022

Australian Championships Day 5: Race Walkers and Laura Roderick shine

On day five of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships we saw the commencement of event in the Para-athletics program, along with open events. Distance runner Laura Roderick booked her World Junior team place as our women’s junior race walkers set-up.

Season find Laura Roderick was all class in the junior 5000m.

In just her second 5000m of her career, Randwick Botany’s Laura Roderick looked untroubled winning the under-20 5000m by 21 seconds, in a time of 16:50.62. As she had the standard for selection for the 5000m, her win booked her an automatic place in the team for the World U20 Championships.

“I was happy with the win and extremely happy with making the team for Columbia, that is the goal I’ve wanted for a while,” said Laura who led home a NSW trifecta with Hannah Anderson second and Leyla Liakatos third.

Early in the race, Laura opened up a gap on the field, which at times stretched to nearly 60 metres. A pack formed in second, numbering up to six, but they made little gain on Laura.

“I was happy (with the time) especially running on my own. I’ve only run one other 5000m, that was the NSW State five, and I was lucky enough to have girls who knew the pace.”

Laura has World Junior qualifiers in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, but selected to run only the 1500m and 5000m here.

“I ran the 1500m this week, to prove to myself, if it came down to a sprint, I had the speed.”

Laura is new to this level of athletics, her name rarely appearing in any results before this season.

“It all came really suddenly. I hadn’t taken running seriously until probably the end of the cross country and start of 2021 track season. That is when I started to get some confidence and I actually started to believe. My coaches have said I could be really good and I would say ‘no I’m not that good’. I had some self-doubts. So it has been good to put my head down and put the work in and see it paying off now.”

Laura is a very valued member of Jordan and Warren Williams’ Run Squad, as she has a role as a squad coach. She also coaches in various other settings.

“I love coaching young kids. I also coach in two schools and I also have my own private coaching outside too.”

Completing her HSC in 2021, she now attends Sydney University where she is studying a Bachelor of Commerce/Advanced Studies degree majoring in French and business.

NSW’s junior women race walkers impressive

Last week we highlighted the growing depth in women’s junior race walking in NSW and tonight at Homebush, they provided more evidence. Following Allanah Pitcher’s amazing top-8 and team medal at the World Race Walking Teams Championships, three more athletes stepped up tonight. Finishing a brilliant third in the under-20 event, Elizabeth McMillen, 17, clocked 48:58.32 to shatter records galore. It was a two-and-a-half minute personal best and was 100 seconds under the World U20 Championships standard. The time also moved her into the top-20 juniors in Australian history. Elizabeth’s third place was just 22 second behind Allanna Peart who is in the box seat to take the discretionary place for the World U20 Championships team.

In fifth was another athlete who achieved a massive personal best, Emma Blanch with 50:27.08. She sliced exactly two minutes from her best set in January in Canberra and also achieved a qualifier for the World U20s. In seventh Hannah Bolton took nearly two minutes from her 10,000m walk PB clocking 52:29.14. Unfortunately, it was not a great night for Milly Boughton and Allanah Pitcher who didn’t finish the gruelling event.

In wintery conditions, Summer wins the long jump

During rain storms NSW’s strong para long jumping crew were in action on day five. Part-time athletics official, Summer Giddings, won the event with a mark of 2.84m (86.06 %), from Tokyo Paralympian Sarah Walsh with 5.13m and Lainee Harrison in third with 4.24m. 2018 Commonwealth Games representative Kailyn Joseph leapt 4.05m for fifth.

Bronzed Gibbons

Building on his recent Australian team debut at the World Race Walking Teams Championships, Carl Gibbons placed a brilliant third in the 10,000m walk in 42:41.16. He placed ahead of training partner Tyler Jones who clocked 43:25.79. There were good signs for Dylan Richardson and Jack McGinniskin who both clocked PBs. Dylan, who was seventh was 20 seconds under his best and teenager Jack, three minutes.

In the junior men’s race Raven Pyda was third in a promising 52:54.56, while Riley Whatman was third with 54:44.65.

Amosia magic

Last December he set an Australian under-16 shot put record and now graduating to the next weight shot, 5kg, Amosia Soatini’s progress doesn’t look to have slowed. He won the under-17 event with a put of 17.84m, to finish ahead of team mate George Wells who hit 15.55m. NSW Blue Mountains Decathlete Angus Clues missed bronze by just 1cm.

NSW dominate Under-18 100s

In a powerful display of sprinting, NSW won five of the six medals on offer in the men’s and women’s under-18 100s. In the less than favourable conditions, Olivia Rose Inkster won the women’s race in 11.93, from Gabriella Taylor (12.02) and Emma Lee (12.05). In the men’s Sebastian Sultana, running into a strong 2.9m/s wind, just held off Rashid Kabba 10.92 to 10.95. Earlier in the week Olivia Rose and Sebastian placed fifth in the under-20 100m and remain in the mix for relay position for the 2022 World U20 Championships team. All the under-18 NSW athletes we expect will in two years be chasing places in the 2024 World Junior team.