Australian javelin throw record holder and 2008 Olympic finalist Jarrod Bannister (Vic) has tonight advanced to the men’s javelin throw final at the IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR).
 
Opening his account with an impressive 81.25m, Bannister, the Commonwealth javelin champion, then fouled in round two before closing with 75.31m.
 
Bannister was sixth in his qualification group and faced an anxious wait to know whether he would advance to Saturday night’s final, but the 26-year-old was eventually confirmed 11th overall and within the final 12. Guillermo Martinez (CUB) threw 83.77m to head into the final withthe best throw of the competition to date.
 
“I’m pretty happy considering a pretty tough last few months, statistically I had done enough with my first throw over 81 metres but I still had to wait and see which wasn’t ideal,” Bannister said.
 
“For most of this season I have been opening in the first few rounds with something big so that wasn’t too much of a surprise but to know that I had one on the board early is always a good feeling.”
 
"I don't have a specific goal for the final because I've had a few injuries this year and qualifying is bonus enough, but to top-eight would be cool so we will wait and see. I'll just go out there and enjoy the competition and try to catch one that will hopefully get me up there."
 
Bannister’s performance ensures a four-from-four appearance by Australian throwers in the finals here at the world championships after Dani Samuels (NSW, discus), Benn Harradine (Vic, discus) and Kim Mickle (WA, javelin) all previously advanced earlier in the program.
 
On the track, Australian record holder Ryan Gregson led the Flame charge competing in the semi-final of the men’s 1500m. Lining up in what became the slower of the two semi-finals, 21-year-old Gregson finished eighth in a time of 3:47.88, with American Matthew Centrowitz taking out the race in 3:46.66.
 
“I haven’t got the legs to deliver what I know I am capable of at the moment, but I knew that before I came here so the semi-final was a good result,” Gregson said.
 
“Tactically I performed pretty well, I had myself in a good spot when it counted cominginto that last lap but my pace isn’t there.
 
“Next year it will be a different story, I’ll have that bit more to get to the end of the race strongly and across the Australian summer I will be building as much as I can to get back to what I am capable of.”

Athletics Australia