NSW Athletes selected for the World Championships

Published Mon 07 Aug 2023

7 August 2023

NSW Athletes selected for the World Championships

Today 15 NSW athletes were confirmed in the Australian team for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Budapest 19-27 August.

The form of Nicola Olyslagers this year has been superb, but her toughest competition could be NSW teammate and defending world champion Eleanor Patterson. This year Nicola has won 9 of her 10 competitions and the one she lost was on countback. Wins have included three Diamond League - Lausanne, Paris and Monaco. Over the last four years, she has competed in 19 Diamond League, placing in 18 of them – an incredibly consistent record.

Nicola also leads the world at 2.02m. Also over two metres this year are Ukraine pair Yaroslava Mahuchikh (with 2.01m) and Iryna Herashchenko (2.00m).

NSW’s Eleanor Patterson, who broke her foot indoors in February, has been building back nicely. She had a good jump recently in Monaco, clearing 1.96m for fourth place, then 1.95m overnight. Just one more height would likely put her in the medals in Budapest still two weeks away. Eleanor’s buildup to Eugene last year was similar with just one 1.96m clearance in Europe.

Mackenzie Little has been in career best form highlighted by her Lausanne Diamond League win with a PB 65.70m. She is ranked third in the world behind Japanese rival Haruka Kitaguchi, who threw 5cm further than Little at the 2022 World Championships and securing the bronze medal. This year they are 2-2 in head-to-head competitions.

Second in the world is Norwegian Sigrid Borge, who seemed to have a one-off good throw of 66.50m this year. Her second best is under 61 metres. Little’s teammate and current world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber is another one of the event favourites, as she chases a rare three-peat.

Can Jessica Hull convert those great distance times into a podium finish? I wouldn’t bet against her doing it. If she can it will be very rare history. She is taking on a large program - both the 1500m and 5000m. Her program will be tough. This is how it looks: 1500m days 1, 2, 4 and 5000m days 5 and 8. The biggest challenge will be between the 1500m final Tuesday evening and 5000m heat Wednesday morning – 14 hours apart.

NSW dominate the high jump with 18-year-old Erin Shaw, on debut, the third member of the women’s team. She was a revelation at the World Juniors last year where she just missed a medal, but her clearance of 1.88m was the highest by an Aussie junior for 17 years. She then cleared 1.90m indoors twice this year. In contrast, Brandon Starc is selected in his ninth Australian team – now a decade on the National team.

Wollongong hurdler Sarah Carli continues to progress after her serious gym accident pre-Tokyo. After cursing through her 2023 domestic season, where she won her second national title, in Europe this year she smashed her 400m hurdles PB clocking 54.66. She also ran three of her fastest four times. Her new PB was a lifetime best by 0.42 seconds, moved her to number three Australian all-time behind Olympic champion Debbie Flintoff-King and world champion Jana Pittman. It was also the fastest time by an Aussie for 16 years.

Riding the World Athletics points rankings over the last month were high hurdlers Jacob McCorry and Nick Andrews. They both are selected in terrific news for the duo. McCorry makes his third Australian team after a breakthrough 2023 season where he set five personal bests.

Australian Team

(athlete, club and coach)

WOMEN (9)

1500m Jessica Hull (BAN, self)

5000m Rose Davies (ADM, Scott Westcott), Hull

400m Hurdles Sarah Carli KEJ, Mel Smith)

35km Walk Allanah Pitcher (SYU, Frank Overton)

High Jump Nicola Olyslagers (SYU, Matt Horsnell), Eleanor Patterson (BAN, Alex Stewart), Erin Shaw (SYU, Alex Stewart)

Long Jump Samantha Dale (EPP, Andrew Murphy)

Javelin Throw Mackenzie Little (SYU, Angus McEntyre)

MEN (6)

100m Rohan Browning (SYU, Andrew Murphy)