Henry Frayne (Qld) and Brendan Cole (ACT) have, pending an announcement this coming week, ensured their nomination for Olympic selection in the men’s triple jump and men’s 400m hurdles after winning performances at the Qantas Melbourne Track Classic & Olympic Trials. 

Battling blustery conditions that saw his wind reading vary from +0.6 m/s to +2.6 m/s, Frayne opened his series with 16.17m, before 16.79m, 17.09m, a wind assisted 17.34m (+2.6) in the penultimate round and his best mark and qualifying performance of 17.23m (+0.6) to close. 

Frayne said: “I’m just really happy to get it out, it means so much to land that qualifying jump. It has been so close all season and to get it out in the last round of the trial is so exciting. 

“I’ve never really been in the initial team and that’s just such a massive result, the pressure is off and it sets me up for the Olympics because it lets me do what I need to do to be better at the Games. 

“The wind was all over the place, so gusty, and that made me a bit nervous. I was waiting for what I thought would be legal and on that last jump I saw the wind flag drop and just hoped. 

“Now for a warm down, a massage and a good night’s sleep to hopefully nail the long jump spot as well. I need to think about what I will do at world indoors next week, but for London we will wait and see.” 

Frayne’s jump on Friday night is his second personal best in the triple jump across the Qantas Australian Athletics Tour after a 17.09m leap to win at the Sydney Track Classic less than a fortnight ago.

Pending long jump victory with a qualifying leap on Saturday night, it also takes him one step closer to becoming the first Australian since Ian Tomlinson in 1964 to compete in both horizontal jumps at the Olympic Games.

Frayne was joined on the podium by Commonwealth champion Tosin Oke (NGR) in second with a leap of 16.85m, while Australian Flame and 2009 IAAF world championships representative Alwyn Jones (Vic, 16.10m) was third.

The long jump competition will be tougher with World Indoor Champion Fabrice Lappiere and Robbie Crowther also capable of surpassing the 8.20m standard for London. World Championship silver medallist is injured and already been nominated for one place.

Cole, meanwhile, etched his name on the automatic nominee list with a 49.39 run to take out the 400m hurdles in blistering fashion from his fellow Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder Tristan Thomas (Tas, second, 50.23).

The training partner of Lauren Boden, Cole has donned the green and gold of Australia at the Commonwealth Games and IAAF world championships before. His performance on Friday night will see him, pending official selection by the Australian Olympic Committee, make his Olympic debut.

Boasting a personal best of 49.35, his run in very tough conditions is a mere 0.06 seconds shy and with a London berth now all but secured he is confident of even more impressive running internationally.

Cole said: “It’s a ticket to my first Olympics, it’s just awesome.”

“Conditions were so tough out there and I knew it would be a real hard fight. I thought I would win and then need to chase the qualifier in Europe but I’ve been consistent in training and that has paid off here, it’s the right thing at the right time.

“A run like this makes me think that I can go 48-high and bringing that close to a reality is a great thing. I’m just excited about what this can bring for me, the prospect of London is insane.”

In other track highlights:

-       Australian record holder Ryan Gregson (NSW) crossed in 3:38.51 to win the men’s 1500m. American David Torrence was second (3:39.32), while Olympic gold medallist Asbel Kiprop (KEN, 3:39.77) and Australian champion Jeff Riseley (Vic, 3:40.77) were third and fourth respectively.

-       IAAF World Athlete of the Year Sally Pearson took home first place in the women’s 100m, crossing in 11.67 (w: -2.3) ahead of Melissa Breen (ACT, second, 11.91) and Toea Wisil (PNG, 12.04).

-       Taking line honours comfortably in 2:02.64, Tamsyn Manou (Vic) was victorious in the women’s 800m.

-       Steven Solomon (NSW) advanced fastest to the final of the men’s 400m with a time of 46.29, as John Steffensen (NSW, 46.59), Sean Wroe (Vic, 46.38), Ben Offereins (WA, 46.73), Joel Bee (Vic, 47.05), Matt Lynch (NSW, 47.10), David Burke (NSW, 47.14) and Kevin Moore (NSW, 47.26) joined him on the start list for tomorrow night.

-        Anthony Alozie (10.58) was the fastest qualifier for the men’s 100m final into a strong headwind. Ahead of Ntiamoah (10.65), Youth Olympic hurdles champion Hough (10.72), Fakiye (10.76) defending champion Rouge-Serret (10.79), Hammond (10.82), McCabe (10.83) and Athens Olympian Ross (10.84).

In other field highlights:

-       Tim Driesen (VIC) threw a big personal best of 70.76m to win the men’s hammer throw from his Australian Flame teammate Simon Wardhaugh (Qld, 66.08m). For Driesen, this is his second personal best this season after a 68.99m throw at the Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart. The women’s hammer throw was won by Gabrielle Neighbour (Vic)

-       Australian Flame and 2010 Commonwealth Gamesrepresentative Liam Zamel-Paez (Qld) won the men’s high jump with a best mark of 2.18, ahead of Youth Olympian Brandon Starc who cleared 2.15m.

-       Two-time national champion Linda Allen (Vic) soared 13.70m (w: +3.7) to win the women’s triple jump from New Zealander Nneka Okpala (second, 12.84m, w: +2.1)

Competition at the Trials will conclude on Saturday night.

Athletics Australia