Commonwealth Games Day 3: Diamond making the most of a late call up

5 August 2022

Commonwealth Games Day 3: Diamond making the most of a late call up

The last athlete added to the Australian team for Birmingham, decathlete Alec Diamond is siting fourth after a solid first day total of 4134 points. Arriving in Birmingham, just over a week ago, Alec has started with a solid 100m of 11.14. He led the long jumpers with 7.66m, delivered one of his best shot put comps with 14.23m. He cleared a season’s best of 1.97m in the high jump and clocked 50.07 in the 400m. He is on target for about 7900 points.

It has been a tough journey for Nick Hough to the 110m hurdles.

He was away well in the final.

“I had a reasonable first half of the race for me, normally the first half isn’t great, but I was in touch,” said Nick.

“Unfortunately, I clipped a couple of hurdles at the end and crashed the last really hard. You can’t recover after you do that.”

He finished seventh in 13.83.

“Last week I tested positive to COVID and didn’t know until the day before the heat I was running.”

“It’s been a pretty horrible week and not the preparation I wanted. Paris 2024 is the big one. I know I can get a medal there if I put in the work over the next two years.”

In the loaded men’s 1500m heats, Olli Hoare made sure he didn’t miss the final, like he had in Eugene two weeks ago. He led heat one over the line clocking 3:37.57.

“It was as comfortable as possible,” he said.

He reflected on his disappointing race at the World Champs.

“I didn’t run smart. I didn’t take responsibility for my moves and recover from the energy I was wasting. It defines you as an athlete how you recover from that.”

Alex Hulley was another athlete to progress smoothly to the final after throwing 66.15m in the hammer throw qualifying rounds. Her series was 65.58m, 66.15m and 66.06m.

Wollongong’s Sarah Carli, who made the semi-final at the Worlds two weeks ago, progressed to the final in Birmingham, after clocking 56.10 in her heat. She explained how her stride pattern was not ideal today.

“I’ve been working on my back straight and I nailed that, but had some issues on hurdle eight and I came home on my bad leg, but I stayed composed,” she explained.

“In the final, I really need to focus on that bend and nail hurdle eight to help with that momentum coming home.”

High jumpers, Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson just required one clearance at 1.81m to book their places in the final.

“Worlds was great. I’m feeling like I’m just starting my season now,” said Nicola.

“I’m hoping something big can happen on Saturday. I’ve been training really well.”

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Alec Diamond (courtesy of @athleticsaustralia / @christo1966)