Liz Clay hurdles into history

15 February 2021

Liz Clay hurdles into history

Dozens of NSW athletes trekked to Canberra for the ACT Championships and were rewarded with Olympic, Paralympic and World U20 Championships qualifiers, along with lifetime bests. The headline act was undoubtedly Liz Clay’s Olympic qualifier in the hurdles.

The women’s line-up in the 100m hurdles was extraordinary and they didn’t disappoint, with NSW’s Gold Coast-based Liz Clay (SYU) smashing her PB in an Olympic qualifier of 12.72 after a heat run of 12.94.

After her breakthrough run of 12.94 last year, this season her times have been 12.84, 12.94 and 12.72.

“After the heat I said to Sharon, ‘it is interesting now I’m not happy with a 12.94,” said Liz, referring to a discussion with her coach Sharon Hannan. Hannan, who guided Sally Pearson to gold at the London Olympics, has now coached the two fastest 100m hurdlers in Australian history.

Liz was confident after the heat she could improve in the final.

“It felt much better than the heat. I was getting close to the hurdles as I’m not used to this track. I thought to myself ‘keep a lid on it and stay in control and it will be much faster in the final.”

Liz Clay moved from number three to two Australian all-time.

In third place there was a major break through for Wollongong-based Abbie Taddeo (ILL). Through the day she clocked three PBs from three races. 13.18 and 13.05 in the 100m hurdles, then 11.63 in the 100m. Her hurdles mark moved her up five places on the Australian all-time list to number nine.

In the open men’s triple jump, Connor Murphy (SYU), 19, only registered two legal jumps, but they both smashed his previous best as he took his PB from 15.68m to 15.93m, then to 16.15m. The support team and crowd erupted when the distance was announced.

“It is what I have been aiming for this season, I really wanted to pass that barrier. It is really nice to get it,” said Connor who is coached by his father Andrew Murphy – Australia’s second longest ever triple jumper.

“I’ve been talking to dad and obviously he is experienced. He said it is just a matter of time to get it right. I came in just wanting to get a technically sound jump, I didn’t care what the distance was, as long as it feels alright. It is good to get the distance along with it.”

In total it was a 47cm PB and moved him to number 31 Australian all-time.

In the women’s triple jump there was a surprise win by Desleigh Owusu (UTN), 19, who leapt a PB 13.08cm to move to number 21 Australian all-time. She was the second win of the day for coach-Andrew Murphy.

Second and third places in the Ambulant 200m were Mali Lovell (HIL) and Tamsin Colley (HIL) continued to edge towards Paralympic qualifiers. The T36 athletes clocked 32.54 and 32.66 respectively, just outside the ‘B’ standard of 31.60.

The women’s sprints were very competitive, yet NSW teenager Monique Quirk (CBT) placed second to Queenslander Bree Masters. Quirk ran 11.54, then 11.64 in the final. But in the 200m she went one better, taking the win in 23.84 into a 3m/s wind.

NSW athletes placed second and third in the women’s open long jump. 14-year-old Delta Amidzovski (WOL) leapt a PB 6.25m, while another teenager Samantha Dale (CHE) was third with 6.09m.

In the 110m hurdles, Nick Hough (SYU) recorded a promising 13.71 after a great battle with Nick Andrews (UNS) throughout the race. Nick Andrews unfortunately crashed over the last hurdle and scrambled to the line in 14.24.

In the blue ribbon 100m sprints, Rohan Browning (SYU) won comfortably the men’s event in 10.23, from Tasmania’s Jack Hale 10.44

In the women’s 400m Bendere Oboya (UTN) held off a strong field, including Anneliese Rubie (SYU) 52.50 to 53.07. In third was Wollongong 400m hurdler, Sarah Carli (WOL) with 53.31 – nearly a full second PB.

In the women’s junior event, Erin Shaw (UTN) cleared a World U20 qualifier of 1.84m on her first attempt.

There were more World U20 qualifiers in the middle-distances. In the women’s open 1500m events Imogen Gardiner (UTN) and Imogen Stewart (ILL) went 1-2 in qualifying times of 4:20.50 and 4:20.54 respectively.

In the ambulant para long jump, Canberra-based Sarah Walsh (SUT) was just short of her PB with a leap of 5.28m, but achieved her 10th T64 Paralympic Games B qualifier.

In a quality open women’s 800m, NSW juniors Matilda Ryan (BLM) 2:05.60 and Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (BAN) 2:06.62 achieved World U20 qualifiers. In the men’s race, second placed 16-year-old Charlie Jeffreson achieved his second World U20 qualifier with a PB time of 1:49.07.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: NSW pair Liz Clay (right) and Abbie Taddeo (centre) in the 100m hurdles (courtesy of David Tarbotton)