ATHLETICS: Australian champion Jeff Riseley (Vic) has shone on day one of the IAAF World Championships in Beijing (CHN), automatically progressing to the semi-final of the men’s 800m after a gutsy run in his heat.

Surging from lane eight in the fifth of six opening round races, Riseley collected the bell for the second of two laps in just shy of 53 seconds. He was clipped on the final bend coming into the straight and pushed back to sixth, before moving up the field and past Jena Umar (ETH, 1:47.03) to cross third and secure his place in the next round.

“The result is exactly what I wanted. I never panicked, but when there is 200 metres go and your sixth you start to think. I’ve watched all the heats from London, and all the heats from Daegu and I knew that if I could come home with 26.0 in the last stages then I’d be good,” Riseley said.

“A lot happens in the last one hundred (metres). Guys go forwards, guys go backwards and once I got out (on the straight) I was pretty comfortable. I knew I had another gear if I had to move, I just had to be super patient and relaxed. In the past I would have stressed and tightened up, and not been able to finish off, but I think I was as good as anyone in that last 100m.”

Riseley has been battling acute soreness in his plantar facia, but the 28-year-old is now confident in his ability to continue to compete here at Beijing 2015 after his strong run today. He sees success at these world titles as a stepping stone toward an even better performance at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“If I get through this championships, then Rio is going to be a piece of cake. I’ve had an injection (to my foot) this morning, and an ultrasound and injection at the team camp before I got here. I had an MRI and thought it (plantar facia) had cleared up alright, it’s been tough.”

Riseley is competing at his fourth IAAF World Championships in 2015, and looking to continue the improved major championship form that saw him place among the top-eight in both the 800m and 1500m at last year’s Commonwealth Games.

His season has been impressive, winning the middle distance double (800m/1500m) at the Australian Athletics Championships in late March before going on to run 1:44.99, his quickest time since 2012, in Lignano (ITA) last month. Riseley will also start in the men’s 1500m at Beijing 2015.

Descending on these championships with a new personal best of 1:45.79 from earlier this month, Joshua Ralph (NSW) joined Riseley in the men’s two-lap race. Ralph was fifth in his heat and reliant on his time to advance, but 1:48.90 was not fast enough to progress.

In the women’s 1500m, Melissa Duncan (Vic) and Heidi See (NSW) flew the Australian Flame flag but they were unable to move through to the semi-final.

Duncan showed courage by moving to the front of the first heat and maintaining her position among the leaders for much of the race. Clocking 4:09.29 she was a mere two spots outside of a start in the next round. See ran 4:20.65.

Rounding out the green and gold campaign on day one was James Nipperess (NSW), competing at his first IAAF World Championships. A beneficiary of the IAAF Roll-Down process, the 25-year-old clocked 8:56.01 to place 12th in his heat of the men’s 3000m steeplechase. He will not progress to the final.

Competition for the Australian Flame will continue tomorrow, with three-time Olympic medallist Jared Tallent (Vic) to lead the green and gold charge in the men’s 20km walk alongside Chris Erickson (Vic) and Dane Bird-Smith (Qld).

Eight-time national champion Lauren Wells (ACT) and Australian record holder Melissa Breen (ACT) will also start, lining up in the first round of the women’s 400m hurdles and women’s 100m respectively.

ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA