Australian Championships Day 7: Olli Hoare bound for Worlds and Commonwealths

1 April 2022

Australian Championships Day 7: Olli Hoare bound for Worlds and Commonwealths

On day seven of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Track and Field Championships Sydney’s Olli Hoare, by winning the men’s 1500mm became the first NSW athlete at the championships to book his place for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Olli Hoare to wear green and gold in Oregon and Birmingham

In a commanding display of distance running, Sutherland’s Olli Hoare won the national 1500m title, his first. Favourite and stronger than the field he was racing, Olli adopted the same race plan for the heat as the final, lead from the front, staying out of danger. With Australia having strong middle-distance strength the job this week was to lockup that automatic selection for the World Championships and automatic nomination for the Commonwealth Games – and he did that with a win in 3:40.79, ahead of his main threat Matthew Ramsden’s 3:41.43 in second.

After the race there was the realisation he was heading back to Hayward Field, site of his first NCAA win in 2018.

“Hayward has a special place in my heart as for me as an athlete, it is where I took that next step to becoming better. I’m looking forward to wearing the green and gold and showing the American’s what we can do.”

First national senior title for Mackenzie Little

With three in the Tokyo Olympic final, the javelin is one of the strong events in Australia so to win the national title was thrilling for Mackenzie Little.

“I’m really excited to win - it’s my first national title in an event which we are so strong. It is special to me.”

Her series included a throw on 61.42m and her winning mark of 62.09m – distances she has only bettered in the qualifying round at the Tokyo Olympics.

“I’m growing in confidence,” she remarked.

Desleigh Owusu: best Aussie triple jumper for 7 years

The women’s triple jump was boosted by strong winds on the back straight, with most jumps wind assisted. Going into the last attempt, Desleigh Owusu was second Australian with a windy assisted 13.33m jump in round two. One her last attempt she landed at 13.49m, falling just 2cm short of the winner Qld’s Kayla Cuba. After the competition Desleigh checked the wind reading.

“After the competition I was thinking fingers crosses let’s see (what the wind was).” She was excited to hear it was a legal wind.

She reflected on her new PB.

“I honestly didn’t feel too different, it is my speed which has really picked up.”

The jump was a 32cm PB, broke the NSW record (13.32m by Nicole Boegman), elevating her from number 17 to number five Australian all-time and was the longest jump by an Aussie for seven years.

It has been a whirl-wind year for Desleigh.

“It was a late start season due to injury (osteo pubis) I’m come so far - a 30cm PB - I can’t thank Murph enough (coach Andrew Murph). The goal had been 13.35m.”

Azzopardi a new force in Australian sprinting.

Like Desleigh Owusu, Josh Azzopardi, has made a late start to the season due to injury, but has made up for the missed racing, going to a new level over the last month with a new legal PB of 10.30 and a windy 10.19. Tonight he placed second Australian in the 100m final, clocking a wind assisted 10.20.

“That was amazing. Looking at the field it was going to be a tight race – I’m so stocked to come second.”

He reflected on the race.

“I got out well in the final. In the semi I felt I tensed up a little about the 20m to 40m area so kind of took a step back and spoke to my coach Rob (Marks) about trying to relax more in that race and I think I did it quite well.”

With most of the season written off due to injury, he started late just to see where he was at.

“I thought my season was finished totally. So, I started to just try and get some racing under my belt – some race fitness.”

But the injury may have been a blessing in disguise.

“I went to the gym six days per week when I was injured, then we worked on turning that strength into power.”

Josh and tonight’s winner Jake Doran were members of the 2018 World U20 team and are now finding their feet amongst a growing depth of Australian sprinters.

“I’m excited to see what can happen in the next few years with everyone sprinting so well. It is also exciting for sprinting in Australia.”

Title four for Hulley

In windy conditions, Alex Hulley nailed her fourth consecutive national women’s hammer throw title with her second round effort of 67.51m. She won by over six metres from Victorian Stephanie Ratcliffe. Alex maintained her goal this year of consistent throwing, with her seventh throw in the 66m to 68m range this summer.

Para-athletics and U18/17 wrap-up in a couple of days.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Olli Hoare wins the men’s 1500m (image courtesy of Fred Etter)