Australian Championships Day 6: Commonwealth Games Para-athletics hopes

31 March 2022

Australian Championships Day 6: Commonwealth Games Para-athletics hopes

On day six of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships a number of Para-athletes with Commonwealth Games hopes endeavoured to improve their selection prospects in the windy and wet conditions.

Julie Charlton’s Commonwealth selection, safe for now

One of the first para-athletics events on the program was the seated shot put. It was important for two NSW athletes seeking Commonwealth Games selection. In the F57 class, the top-7 athletes in the Commonwealth rankings on April 18 will be invited to compete at the Commonwealth Games as a member of the Australian team. Cherrybrook’s Julie Charlton is currently in seventh place, with a best of 6.43m. Today’s competition was an opportunity to improve that ranking, but in the rain it was tough. However Julie still performed well hitting 6.31m, very close to her best. Also in contention is Asics Wests athlete Lynda Holt. She is sitting in nineth place with a best distance of 5.98m. Today she put 5.82m – close to her PB. The final rankings in the next two weeks will decide the Commonwealth placing.

Delta Double

In one afternoon, Delta Amidzovski, swept aside the fields in the under-17 long jump and 100m hurdles, to twin golds. Her first win was in the hurdles, where in the wet conditions she clocked 13.63 seconds running into a headwind. In better weather the meet record of 13.49 as certainly in danger. In the long jump she nailed four valid jumps, with her best of 5.98m achieved into a strong 2.2m/s wind.

Sharp sprinting by Indi Cooper in the Para 100m

Another NSW who is chasing Commonwealth Games selection is Indi Cooper in the Para T38 100m. She is eighth ranked in the Commonwealth and hoping that will be sufficient for an invite. She has clocked a best of 14.29 in the qualifying period, so today’s run of 14.37 into a headwind in wet conditions was excellent.

More NSW women’s junior race-walking depth on display

A day after there were a tremendous number of excellent performances in the women’s under-20 10,000m walk by NSW athletes, the next generation were again dominating, on this occasion in the under-17 5000m walk where NSW’s Milly Boughton won and the home State filled four of the five places. Milly’s win was despite a 30-seconds penalty for judge warnings. Milly clocked 26:03.54. NSW athletes in the top-5 were: Aiva Pinches 3rd (26:32.48), Chelsea Roberts 4th 26:54.14 and Grace Beck fifth (27:37.73).

Another thrilling Kitching win

Jade Kitching, the younger brother of Hayley Kitching, winner of the under-20 girls 800m, was involved in one of the most thrilling races of the championships – the men’s under-17 1500m. In the windy conditions, the pace was pedestrian on occasions, but coming from a long way back in the home straight, Jade Kitching won the 1500m over Victorian Archie Caldow by 0.05 seconds in 4:08.59. The battle for bronze was just as intense, with WA’s Ky Hehir holding off NSW’s Oliver Neate and WA’s Bob Abdeirahim by 0.22 seconds.

Kabba hurdles king

Arriving at the championships with a 110m hurdles PB of 13.87, Westfields flyer Rashid Kabba has twice dipped under that previous best today. In the heat he ran 13.75 into a headwind and backed it up with 13.78 in the final into a stronger head wind.

Rashid’s NSW team mate from Goulburn, John Kalozi, is one to watch as he clocked 13.99 in the heat and 13.85 in the final to win the silver medal.

Heyes hammers out a silver medal

Consistently throwing around 64 or 65 metres for the last couple of years in the hammer throw, Tim Heyes has gone to a new level in the last couple of weeks. It started at the Sydney Track Classic where he added three metres to his best with a throw of 68.31m. Two weeks on, and in difficult conditions, and with the pressure of a national title on the line, he maintained that new level with a brilliant series and best throw of 67.87m. He pushed defending champion Ned Weatherly to a PB of 69.20m, as he settled for the silver medal.

Other NSW athletes to become Australian champions on day 6

Bailey Thompson U15 Para 100m 14.99

Cooper Robb-Jackson U17 Para 400m 62.74

Malachi Canning U17 Para 400m 65.98, U20 Para Javelin 26.35m

Sammy Muanba U20 Para 100m 11.99

George Wells U17 discus 51.72

Abbie Peet U15 Para 400m 79.11

Telaya Blacksmith U17 Para Long Jump 4.60m

Sybella Warton U17 Para 100m 15.22

Mitchell Hatfield U17 High Jump 1.92m

Lainee Harrison U20 Para Long Jump 4.01m

Ella Osbourne Open Para 400m 65.45

Sienna Bond U18 Long Jump 5.77m

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Julie Charlton (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)