Day 3 - Sensational Starc and Solomon

Brandon Starc took flight and touched down as the fifth best male high jumper in the world, whilst Steve Solomon ran his PB that stood since London 2012, and in doing so passed Wayde van Niekirk, current World Record Holder & Olympic Champion in his 400m Heat. Day Three really had it all!

Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart) rewrote the record books with the highest jump in Olympic history by an Australian, clearing 2.35m to finish in fifth place of the Olympic final.

The mark was just one-centimetre shy of his 2.36m personal best and equal national record, with Starc happy to produce his best on the day but quick to acknowledge the incredible depth of the competition.

“That was hard – 2.35m to come fifth. I don’t even know if that’s happened before,” he said.

The Australian beanpole opted to pass after one attempt at 2.37m, heading straight to 2.39m in a bold attempt to clinch an Olympic medal.

“I thought I was a genuine chance at 2.39m to be honest. As soon as the three of them jumped 2.37m the best I would have come was fourth and I wanted a medal,” he said.

“We’ve finally found some form. I’ve only ever jumped 2.36m, so it should be good going into next year with the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.”

The performance improves on his sixth place finish at the 2019 IAAF World Championships and leaves him on the doorstep of winning a medal at a major championship – an opportunity he will get at next year’s World Athletics Championships.

The Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy) fairy-tale was not meant to be, with the Australian sprinter running 10.09 after a poor start as the semi-finals witnessed the end of his maiden Olympic campaign.

Turning into an overnight sensation after his incredible heat win in which he ran 10.01 to defeat the second fastest man in history Yohan Blake – Browning’s goal to become the first Australian man to make the Olympic 100m final since 1956 was no secret.

“I’m very disappointed. I definitely had a better run in me than that, but I gave the field too much of a gap and you can’t do that at an Olympic Games,” he said.

“This is championship racing, sometimes you nail it and sometimes you don’t.”

The well spoken 23-year-old will process the result which he deems as underwhelming before looking ahead to the promising career that awaits him.

“There’s always something ahead. The next three years are going to be very busy for major championships. I’m hoping to run world indoors next year, and then Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships,” he said.

“It’s been really nice to get so many kind words from everybody, it’s been really genuine. I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done today but I want to thank everyone for the support.”
 

Australian co-captain Steve Solomon (Penny Gillies) knows how to produce his best on the big stage, and yesterday proved no different.

Off a limited preparation, Solomon rose to the Olympic occasion when tearing his way around 400m in a time of 44.94 to clinch second place and automatic qualification to the semi-finals – demolishing his personal best in the process.

Seldom are athletes possess Solomon’s ability to produce their best when it matters, making his semi-final showdown a must-watch for Australian athletics fans.
 

In the steeplechase, Georgia Winkcup (Ben Liddy) clocked 9:59.29 to finish in 13^th place despite a challenging journey to the Olympic Games through injury – gritting her teeth in the gruelling conditions.
 

Charlie Hunter (Ben Thomas) was forced to the front of his semi-final earlier than planned after being clipped and then shoved by a competitor – causing a swift change in race plans. Hunter fought on to cross the line in a time of 1:46.73.

The following article is adapted from Lachlan Moorehouse & Athletics Australia's "Starc Soars, Bol Scores | Day Three Review"
For the full article, see the AA article here