World Athletics Championships: NSW Preview

Published Fri 15 Jul 2022

15 July 2022

World Athletics Championships: NSW Preview

Saturday morning 10 days of world class athletics competition gets underway in Eugene, when the 18th World Athletics Championships commence. NSW will have 16 athletes in competition potentially across all 10 days.

Read a full list of times when NSW athletes will be in action:

Dates and times NSW athletes will be competing at the World Athletics Championships

At the last world championships in Doha 2019, Australia won just one medal and claimed three top-8 places, so competition is fierce amongst the expected 192 nations, but yet NSW have at least four genuine top-6 hopes, and on their day they could finish on the podium.

Women high jump: Nicola Olyslagers (nee McDermott) and Eleanor Patterson.

Nicola won silver at the Tokyo Olympics and Eleanor silver at the World Indoor Championships in March this year. Both are in the medal mix and face largely Ukrainian competition, led by World indoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh. With an eye on the Commonwealths, Jamacian Lamara Distin is a serious threat. This year she has won the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor titles and has improved from 1.90m to 1.97m.

Season best ranking: #2 Eleanor Patterson, #8 Nicola Olyslagers

Men 1500m: Olli Hoare

If anyone closely watched Olli’s mile against Olympic champion Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen at the recent Stockholm Diamond League, you would have no doubt he is in the medal mix and more. Olympic silver medallists Timothy Cheruiyot (Kenyan) and Tokyo fourth placegetter Abel Kipsang look to be key competition too.

Season best ranking: #22 Olli Hoare. This is meaningless, however his 1500m split in the mile (3:31.7) has him #2 seed.

Women Javelin: Mackenzie Little

A surprise qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics, Mackenzie Little, not just made the Olympic final, she made the final top-8. She and her coach Angus McEntyre have her in form when it counts. In Tokyo she set a PB 62.37m. This year in the key three event for her to qualify for the world championships she nailed a seasonal best, then two PBs. She also won all three competitions, the Nationals, Brisbane Track Classic and Oceania Championships. In a head-to-head against 2019 world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, Mackenzie defeated her on all four occasions, three times in Australia and at a fourth meeting at the Paris Diamond league.

She is going under the radar, but watch out.

Season best ranking: #7 Mackenzie Little

Women 1500m: Jessica Hull

A semi-finalist at the last world championships in Doha in 2019, she was 11th in Tokyo and 6th at the Indoors earlier this year over 3000m. On season best seedings for Eugene, Jessica is ranked seventh. She has raced well on the Diamond League circuit but some of the African’s are next level.

Season best ranking: #7 Jessica Hull

In Brief:

Michelle Jenneke (100m hurdles): made the semi-final in her last three world championships in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Her seed is: #39

Rose Davies (5000m): Progression form the Tokyo Olympics would be a finals berth for Rose who is still only 22, but getting strong and better every season. Her seed is: #21

Sarah Carli (400m hurdles): Finally, after the serious gym accident in the summer of 2021, Sarah looks to be approaching her PB form clocking 55.66 in Belgium. She looks callable of matching her 2019 Doha result of making the semi-final. Her seed is: #28

Samantha Dale (Long Jump): Making her international debut is Samantha Dale at just 21. A top-12/final would be a sensational result. Her seed is: #19

Alexandra Hulley (Hammer throw): A most experienced international hammer thrower, Alex, 25, makes her senior global debut in Eugene. Her seed is: #28

Rohan Browning (100m): His final lead up race of 10.08 signalled he is on track to surpass his PB which means sub-10 and a semi-finals berth. The final and a top-8 is next level as the top-9 entries all have season bests of 9.90 or sub. But Aussies can be expected to rise to the occasion so let’s not limit Rohan. His seed is: #37

Steven Solomon (400m): Steve will likely need to match what he did less than 12 months ago, run sub-45 in the heat, to progress to the semi-final. Steve’s form has been sub-45 for the last couple of years, just hampered by injury and competition cancellations due to COVID. A run in the semi a little faster than his PB and he could land in the final – he did that in London in 2012. His seed is: #22

Ed Trippas (3000m Steeplechase): Hovering around the 8:30 mark for most of the year, Ed blasted out 8:20.29 for fifth in the NCAAs. Hoping with the experience of Tokyo under his belt, he can progress to the final. His seed is: #31

Nick Hough (110m hurdles): at his last three global meets, World Indoors (2018), World Championships (2019) and Tokyo Olympics (2021), he made the semi-final. His seed is: #30

Carl Gibbons (35km Walk): Carl lines up in his second global race walking championships in four months following his appearance at the World Race Walking Teams Championships. His seed is: #46

Cameron McEntyre (Javelin): In his last competition at this venue Cameron set his current PB, so he will be familiar with the surrounds. Still largely inexperienced internationally, but a finals berth is on the cards and would be an excellent result. His seed is: #22

NSW members of the Australian Team for the 2022 World Athletics Championships

WOMEN (9)

1500m Jessica Hull (Pete Julian, Bankstown Sports)

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

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)

Hammer Throw Alexandra Hulley (Karyne Di Marco, Sutherland).

Javelin Throw Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre, Sydney University)

MEN (7)

100m Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy, Sydney University)