Australian Track and Field Champs Day 8: NSW Para Athletes Close Successful Championships

Published Tue 20 Apr 2021

20 April 2021

Australian Track and Field Champs Day 8: NSW Para Athletes Close Successful Championships

Near perfect weather for athletes and officials continued on the last day of the high successful Australian Championships. NSW’s para athletes were strong across the track and field as Rashid Kabba closed the championships as one of the undoubted stars of the meet.

On day eight, Westfields sprinter/hurdler Rashid Kabba claimed medal five in the 200m in a massive half second PB time of 21.80.

“In the race before I heard the commentator mention Ashley Wong’s long strides, so I thought I would try that,” recalled Kabba. So, I sprinted the curve and then when I got to the straight I picked up my stride and made it longer. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw James (Swao) and made my long strides quicker.”

In the men’s under-20 Para 800m there was a re-match from the NSW Championships. At the state champs Orange’s Aaron Houston, a T20 athlete, narrowly defeated visually impaired (T13) athlete James Tirado (RBH), by a little over 1% and three seconds on the clock. For the national title, they would again be leading protagonists. With their different classifications, it would be logical to assume Tirado knew he needed to finish within about a second of Houston to defeat him and hopefully defeat all rivals. In the home straight he sprinted hard to catch Houston and Victorian James Pendred (T20), eventually passing Pendred and finishing just 0.39 seconds behind Houston, sufficient to take the national title by just 0.35%.

The NSW boys under-18 long jumpers were on fire, sweeping the podium as all three cleared seven metres and all setting PBs. Renato Pane’s (ASW) set PBs in rounds one and three, with the later jump of 7.12m sufficient to take the title. In second, triple jump gold medallist, William Moir (TRI) also recorded two seven metre leaps with his four round 7.07m his best. Leading into the event, Zhao Pengfei (HIL) had been the only legal seven metre jumper and he also accumulated two seven metre plus leaps with his opener of 7.07m, equal to Moir, his best, placing him third on countback.

Although NSW did not win gold in the under-17 girls triple jump, it was a consuming battle for the medals amongst three athletes including two from NSW. The clear winner was outstanding Victorian Tiana Boras, but Sienna Bond (UTN), Nancy Agostina (Vic) and Olivia Dimech (ASW) waged a battle for the silver and bronze medals. Dimech, led early with 11.93m, but in round two Agostino took the lead amongst the trio 12.04m. In the fourth and final round Bond hit 12.04m, to move into the silver medal position. Jumping next, Dimech responded with 12.02m, 2cm behind Bond and Agostino, but not sufficient to catch the others, settling for fourth as Bond took silver on count back from Agostino.

UTS North field event athlete Isla Gillespie won dual national under-17 para titles. She comfortably won the javelin with a last round mark of 13.38m, while in the long jump, the T35 athlete, was consistent with her best coming on her opening attempt – leaping out to 2.26m.

Other NSW athletes crowned national champions on day eight were: