The 85th Australian Athletics Titles and World Championship selection trials concluded in Brisbane Sunday with a new Australian record and three athletes winning doubles.

After chasing the 34-year-old Australian record all summer and twice being denied of a new record by excessive wind, Sally McLellan won the women’s 100m hurdles with a new Australian record of 12.92 (+0.7). 

“I was training for nationals, so that is what my body was ready to do. That was my goal achieved, so I need to go back to my goal books and re-assess.”

Pam Ryan was the previous record holder at 12.93sec set way back in 1972.

“I said to my boyfriend today, ‘I think I’m going to break the record today, which is something I never do,” an ecstatic McLellan who also won the 100m in a personal best 11.24secs said. Fttingly, Pam Ryan presented the medals to the winners.

Josh Ross capped off a brilliant weekend of sprinting, taking out the men’s 200m in a photo finish with a time of 20.51 (+4.7).

‘The Boss’ backed up from his 100m title defence last night with another personal best, albeit with an illegal tailwind.

“It’s a dream come true to win the double, so I’m really happy with the weekend,” Ross said before announcing that he is considering adding the long jump to his repertoire in future.

World Championship 200m finalist Patrick Johnson showed he too is running superbly over the half lap journey, finishing only 2/100ths of a second behind Ross in 20.53sec.

Tamsyn Lewis also made it a double in Brisbane taking out the 400m Saturday night and the 800m Sunday.

Lewis became the first athlete to take the double in 26 years and all for a good reason.

“I’m so happy to win the double. We did it for a reason so we can get through the rounds at major championships.”

In today’s 800m Lewis went straight to the lead, cruising through the bell in 58.53sec with the rest of the field strung out behind her. Madeleine Pape (VIC) went with Lewis and looked a danger coming into the straight, but like the champion athlete she is, Tamsyn found the inner strength to record a B-qualifier of 2.00.71, with Pape running a new personal best in second. For Lewis it was her fastest 800m since 2003.

Nick Bromley (NSWIS) won his third straight Australian 800m title in a close encounter with season nemesis Jeffrey Riseley (VIC). As he has done all season, Riseley hit the lead approaching the 200m remaining mark and headed for home. However in a reversal of the Telstra A-Series in Melbourne last Friday night, Bromley narrowly defeated Riseley and celebrated in fine form after crossing the finish line in 1.48.42.

In a championship that produced many outstanding results, one of the biggest improvements came from a man who is stepping up to the plate to fill the void left by Kyle Vander-Kuyp.

Justin Merlino (NSWIS) ran a personal best and B-qualifying time of 13.55sec (+1.5m) in the men’s 110m hurdles, putting himself in the mix for a world championships birth.

Importantly, the time sliced almost half a second of his previous best of 13.98 elevating him to no.2 on the Australian all-time list.

The women’s pole vault had two athletes in contention to gain automatic selection for the world championships in Kym Howe (WAIS) and Alana Boyd (QAS), as both had two A-qualifiers going into today’s final.

Howe, the Australian record holder won the title with a vault of 4.55m. Athletics Queensland Development Officer Boyd was second leaping 4.35 with Victorian Rosanna Ditton third with 4.20m.

Australia’s strong tradition of male long jumpers looks set to continue with a close competition. After many close competitions all season, Tim Parracivini (AIS) leapt 8.01m, ahead of Chris Noffke (QAS) with a personal best of 7.98m with Frederick Erin from France in third.

A world championship B-qualifier of 60.40m on her final throw earned Dani Samuels the gold medal in the women’s discus.

Samuels was the first Australian home in the shot put also, however was second across the line behind Tonga’s Ana Po’uhila.

Earlier in the day, in oppressive conditions, Luke Adams (AIS) won his second 20km Australian race walk title this morning in a time of 1hour 25min 10sec.

Fellow AIS athletes Jared Tallent (AIS) and Adam Rutter (AIS) took silver and bronze whilst injured 50km world record holder Nathan Deakes observed from the sidelines.

South Australian Claire Woods was a clear winner in the womens equivalent event taking the Australian title in 1hour 41min 56sec.

At the end of the championships 12 athletes have automatically confirmed their place in the Australian team for the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Additions to the team will be announced late next week with further athletes added prior to the close of deadline for entries in August.

Overnight, Jane Saville who was provided with an exemption from these championships, competed in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge 2007 in Naucalpan, Mexico. Saville finished third in a time of 1hour 33min 9sec.

Automatic selections, based on athletes who have achieved two A-qualifying performances plus won the respective event at the Telstra Australian Championships;

Men: Joshua Ross (100m), Sean Wroe (400m), Mark Fountain (1500m), Craig Mottram (5000m), Steve Hooker (Pole Vault), Luke Adams (20km walk), Jarrod Bannister (Javelin)

Women: Sally McLellan (100m/100m Hurdles), Donna MacFarlane (3000m Steeplechase), Bronwyn Thompson (Long Jump), Kym Howe (Pole Vault), Kylie Wheeler (Heptathlon)

Athletics Australia