“We are having a phenomenal (start to the) championship as a team. There is the right momentum. This is the largest team to compete at an overseas Olympics, a young team,” Solomon said. 

“If you set the expectation of a season best, a personal best performance then you are going to have great results and I think that’s what’s building and it gives me great joy to see that.” 

“Rohan’s run (in the 100m) was magnificent, I know that it has made him hungrier to make the final, which he is capable of doing and more. To gain the experience and confidence of winning his heat, not many people have been able to do that for Australia, just as Peter Bol did in the 800m. 

“For Riley to progress through to the semi-final of the 200m at her first major championship is impressive. Gen Gregson is coming back for her final, our 1500m girls are running super strong, then there was Brandon in high jump, Denny in the discus, Kurtis coming back for the final of the pole vault and so many athletes that haven’t even started. 

“It’s an amazing building block for a team that’s had a very challenging year. The next year is going to be a very big with World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games - it’s a big 12 months for Australian athletics.”  

A stalwart of the green and gold, Solomon, who debuted at the IAAF World Championships in 2011, commended the environment in which he finds himself. 

“The team has a great feel to it. It is an exciting feeling among everyone. We are rising as an entire group,” Solomon added. 

“Daegu was my first world championships 10 years ago and back then it was Steve Hooker and Sally Pearson. I’m looking forward to continuing the journey to see who can fill those shoes and lead from the front, the athletes that can deliver medals, podiums and all that comes with it.” 

Solomon also reflected on his race in the penultimate round of the one-lap race that was won by Michael Cherry of the USA in 44.44. 

“I’m quite happy. I wanted to make the final, believed that I could, and had the semi to do it. I probably should have run a bit harder at the top curve, but I’m happy to be competing at these Olympics given the preparation that I’ve had,” Solomon, who was in lockdown in Sydney during winter before travelling to the heat of Tokyo, said. 

A personal best Day 

Olympic debutant Riley Day has added to the growing list of Australians delivering personal bests at Tokyo 2020, with the 21-year-old clocking 22.56 (w: +0.3) in the semi-final of the women’s 200m. 

Day crossed the line 4th in her heat, sharing the same time as Antonique Strachan (BAH), to place 12th overall and establish herself as a rising star of green and gold athletics. 

“It was very bittersweet. A 0.2 personal best, which is huge in sprints and that’s unreal, and I knew it was going to be a tough ask to make the final. I’ll take this result overall at 21, but it’s still a bit of a punch in the guts,” Day said. 

“This experience is a massive confidence boost. To be competitive against the best girls in the world is really promising for the future. It makes me want to work hard for next year.” 

“I’m so incredibly happy with the work that I’ve done with my coach Paul Pearce and my strength coach Chris Gaviglio, they put in 110% for me and made me work my arse off. I hated it at the time, but I love it now.” 

Difficult pole vault qualification for Aussies

Rounding out the Australians in action were Nina Kennedy and Elizaveta Parnova. Kennedy cleared 4.40m and Parnov sailed over 4.25m, but neither were able to advance to the final of the women’s pole vault after rain interrupted the qualification round for more than an hour. It took 4.55 metres to progress to the final.  

Tuesday will see one of the most highly anticipated events on the schedule for Australia with the men’s 1500m heats. And in the field Kurtis Marschall will compete for gold in the men’s pole vault and our javelin women will compete for spots in the final. 

Cody Lynch