Australian Track and Field Champs Day 1: NSW strong in the field

12 April 2021

Australian Track and Field Champs Day 1: NSW strong in the field

The host State had a strong start to the eight-day Australian Track and Field Championships being held at Sydney Olympic Park this week. Delta Amidzovski (WOL) started her large competition program with a win in the high jump, while Nepean’s Amosia Soatini led a NSW 1-2 in the under-16 shot put.

Queensland’s Toby Stolberg, rallied late in the under-16 girls high jump to provide Wollongong’s Delta Amizovski a genuine challenge. Compiling a clean sheet from 1.54m to 1.68m, Amizovski faulted momentarily missing her first attempt at 1.71m. Stolberg then took the lead clearing on her first attempt. Amizovski could now not rely on a countback win, and she didn’t, going clear at 1.74m to clinch the victory. She had won two years ago, setting a then under-14 meet record of 1.72m.

Talented thrower Amosia Soatini, was locked in a close battle with team-mate George Wells (MIN) to win the under-16 shot. In the early rounds just centimetres separated them, but on his last attempt, and with gold assured, Soatini unleashed with a PB of 19.56m – a 9cm lifetime best.

With obvious speed and power, you would expect the tall Soatini is a target for many other sports.

“I’ve had a lot of people who want me to play basketball, league and union,” he said, “But I want to stick to shot put. I like athletics because it is an individual sport and if you work hard you can get a return. This (shot) is what I like doing and I’m good at it and I don’t what to risk injury.”

Coached by David Bruce, Soatini started shot put aged about 10 or 11 through school. He trains alongside one of the best shot putters in Australia, Alexander Kolesnikoff, who competes later in the week and is on the verge of going 20 metres.

NSW won two other titles, also in the field events, with Manly-Warringah’s Mitchell Hatfield (SYP) taking the under-16 high jump 1.94m and Trinity’s Jozef Cluff the under-14 shot put with 15.48m.

Results http://athletics.resultshub.com.au/

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Delta Amizovski (courtesy of David Tarbotton)

EVENT PROFILE

What? Australian Track and Field Championships (U14 to open)

When? 12-19 April 2021

Where? Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre, Homebush

Tickets? https://www.athletics.com.au/events/92137/

More Info? Timetable, entries, rules https://www.athletics.com.au/events/92137/