Commonwealth Games Preview

2 August 2022

Commonwealth Games Preview

Tonight six day of Athletics action on the track and in the field gets underway in Birmingham. The depth in many of the events is truly world class, like the men’s 1500m including three of the top-4 from the Tokyo Olympic final are in the field. 26 NSW athletes will compete across the program. The number was recently boosted when Alec Diamond was added to the decathlon, following the withdrawal of Ash Moloney.

Here is a look at a few event where NSW athletes will be in action.

Men 1500m (August 4, 6)

A truly World class race with only missing Norwegian Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen. The race has places 1-5-6-7-9 from the recent World Championships and 2-3-4-7-10-11 from the Tokyo Olympics.

Sutherland’s Ollie Hoare is determined to bounce back from his Eugene result where he placed 10th in his semi-final and he certainly is capable of winning. The newly crowned World Champion, Scotland’s Jake Wightman, will be full of confidence.

#1 – 3:29.23 - Jake Wightman SCO, World 1500m champion

#2 – 3:30.60 – Josh Kerr SCO, Bronze Tokyo Olympics

#3 – 3:30.69 – Timothy Cheruiyot KEN, Silver Tokyo Olympics

#4 – 3:31.01 – Abel Kipsang KEN, 4th Tokyo Olympics

#5 – 3:31.7 – Olli Hoare AUS, Final Tokyo Olympics, Australian mile record holder

#6 – 3:33.24 – Stewart McSweyn AUS, Australian record holder

*Rankings based on season bests

Men Decathlon (August 4, 5)

A very open event with lots of variable, not least that a number of the athletes are competing in their second 10-eventer in 13 days, a herculean task for Aussie pair Cedric Dubler and Daniel Golubovic, along with defending Commonwealth champion Lindon Victor. There are the top-3 ranked going into Birmingham. NSW’s Alec Diamond who received a call up a week ago, when Ash Moloney was unable to finish in Eugene and withdrew from Birmingham. Alec is certainly a medal prospect.

#1 – 8474 - Lindon Victor GRN, 5th World Champs, Gold 2018 Comm Games

#2 – 8393 - Cedric Dubler AUS, 8th Worlds, Bronze 2018 Comm Games

#3 – 8071 - Daniel Golubovic AUS, 14th Worlds

#4 – 8000 - Alec Diamond AUS, Silver Australian Champs.

Women 1500m (August 5, 7)

Jess Hull, now recovered from COVID, faces a challenge from Scottish World Champs silver medallists Laura Muir and her own teammates for places on the podium. Muir will be difficult to beat, but another half dozen have claims for a podium.

#1 - 3:55.28 - Laura Muir SCO, Bronze Worlds

#2 - 3:59.31 - Jessica Hull AUS, 7th Worlds

#3 - 4:00.25 - Winnie Nanyondo UGA, 8th Worlds

#4 - 4:00.58 - Linden Hall AUS, final Olympics

#5 - 4:02.66 - Edinah Jebitok KEN, Semi Tokyo

Men T38 100m (August 3)

Evan O’Hanlon has a tough battle to defend the title he won on the Gold Coast over four years ago. He has a great championships record, so will certainly be on the podium.

#1 – 11.35 Charl du Toit RSA, T37 class Rio Paralympic gold medallists and former world record holder

#2 – 11.36 Evan O’Hanlon AUS, bronze Tokyo Paralympics, Gold 2018 Commonwealth Games

#3 – 11.54 Shaun Burrows ENG, bronze 400m 2015 World Para-Athletics Championships

#4 – 11.83 Zachary Gingras CAN, bronze 400m Tokyo Paralympics

Women High Jump (August 4 & 6)

Aussies should go 1-2, but there are dangers if they are not in top form.

#1 - 2.02m - Eleanor Patterson AUS, Gold Worlds 2.02m & = National record

#2 - 1.97m - Lamara Distin JAM, 1st NCAA

#3 - 1.96m - Nicola Olyslagers AUS, 5th Worlds 1.96m, Bronze 2018 Comm Games, Silver Tokyo

#4 - 1.95m - Tyra Gittens TTO, a 6.96m long jumper

#4 - 1.95m - Emily Borthwick ENG

#6 - 1.93m - Morgan Lake ENG, PB 1.97m, Silver 2018 Comm Games

10307766. - Javelin Throw (August 7)
6736462. than Kelsey-Lee, season bests for next four are close.

#1 - 66.91 - Kelsey-Lee Barber AUS, Gold Worlds , at Comm Games 2014 bronze & 2018 Silver

#2 - 63.82 - Annu Rani IND, 7th Worlds

#3 - 63.33 - Liz Gleadle CAN, 9th Worlds, 4th 2018 Comm Games

#4 - 63.22 - Mackenzie Little AUS, 5th Worlds, Olympic Final

#5 - 62.40 - Tori Peeters NZL

#8 - 57.36 - Kathryn Mitchell AUS, Gold 2018 Comm Games

NSW members of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Track and Field team

MEN (11)

100m Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy, Sydney University)

100m T38 Evan O'Hanlon (Iryna Dvoskina, UTS Norths)

400m Steven Solomon (Penny Gilles, Randwick Botany Harriers)

800m Charlie Hunter (Peter Julian, Asics Wests)

1500m Ollie Hoare (Dathan Ritzenhein, Sutherland)

110m Hurdles Nick Hough (Anthony Benn, Sydney University)

3000m Steeplechase Ed Trippas (Jason Vigilante, Bankstown)

4x100m Relay Joshua Azzopardi (Rob Marks, Camden)

High Jump Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart, Parramatta City)

Javelin Throw Cameron McEntyre (Angus McEntyre, Sydney Pacific)

Decathlon Alec Diamond (Zsuzsanna Olgyay-Zsabo, UTS Norths)

WOMEN (15)

100m T34 Sarah Clifton-Bligh (Louise Sauvage, Sydney University), Rosemary Little (Rick Hoskins, Hills Club).

100m T38 Indiana Cooper (Rowan Vergano, Kooringal-Wagga)

1500m Jessica Hull (Pete Julian, Bankstown Sports)

1500m T54 Christie Dawes (Andrew Dawes, Hunter Veterans)

5000m Rose Davies (Scott Westcott, Newcastle Runners), Jessica Hull

10,000m Rose Davies

Marathon Eloise Wellings (Nic Bideau, Sutherland)

Marathon T54 Christie Dawes

100m Hurdles Michelle Jenneke (Gary Bourne, Sydney University)

400m Hurdles Sarah Carli (Melissa Smith, Kembla Joggers)

High Jump Nicola Olyslagers (nee McDermott) (Matt Horsnell, Sydney University), Eleanor Patterson (Alex Stewart, Bankstown Sports)

Long Jump Samantha Dale Andrew Murphy, Cherrybrook Athletics)

Shot Put F57 Julie Charlton (Mitchell Kerr, Cherrybrook Athletics)

Hammer Throw Alexandra Hulley (Karyne Di Marco, Sutherland)

Javelin Throw Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre, Sydney University)

A guide to when all the Australian athletes are competing:

https://cdn.revolutionise.com.au/cups/nswathletics/files/nyuyuzer6y3gexyv.pdf

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Alec Diamond (courtesy of David Tarbotton)