It was a huge weekend for Australia's Olympians and Olympic hopefuls, with Tokyo 2020 qualifying times achieved, a world cup medal claimed and national champions crowned.
ATHLETICS – Browning breaks through while Bissett, Hall and Montag shine
Sprinter Rohan Browning ran the third fastest 100m ever by an Australian and the fastest ever on home soil, clocking a Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying standard time of 10.05 at the Queensland Track Classic on Saturday.
Browning’s personal best time saw him claim the 100m just ahead of New Zealander Edward Osei-Nketia.
Catriona Bissett and Linden Hall fought out one of the fastest women’s 800m races by Australians, with Bissett (1.59.12) edging out Hall (1.59.22), both under the 800m Tokyo 2020 qualifying standard and just the third time in Australian history two runners have gone under 2 minutes in the 800m at the same race.
Other winners from the meet include Peter Bol in the 800m, Hana Basic with a scorching 11.19 in the women’s 100m, Dani Stevens and Matt Denny in the Discus, Brandon Starc and Eleanor Patterson in the high jump, Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall in the Pole Vault, Brooke Stratton in the long jump and Liz Clay continued her unbeaten summer in the 100m hurdles.
Tokyo 2020 selected race walker Jemima Montag was also crowned Oceania Champion at the 20km Race Walking Championships in Melbourne on Saturday morning, with her 1.28.50 the fastest time by an Australian on home soil and a two-minute PB.
WINTER – Coady takes slopestyle bronze at Snowboard World Cup
Snowboarder Tess Coady won her second World Cup medal of the season, taking out slopestyle bronze in Silvaplana, Switzerland.
The Melbourne-based 20-year-old scored 86.25, behind Japanese duo Reira Iwabuchi (91.00) and Kokomo Murase (88.75).
The medal caps a successful season for the 2017 Junior World Champion Coady, with an earlier bronze in Aspen to go with the season-ending result in Switzerland.
CYCLING – National Track Champions crowned in Brisbane
Australia’s best sprinters took to the boards of the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane to vie for national titles, with Tokyo 2020 selected Matthew Richardson crowned men’s sprint champion and Queenslander Kristina Clonan winning the kierin and sprint.
Richardson’s undefeated run to gold was a display of pure speed and sprinter’s instincts, defeating Malaysian and former keirin world champion Mohd Azizulhasni Awang in the gold medal final.
Clonan’s impressive performance highlights her rapid progression in the ranks since making the switch from the endurance program to sprinting in 2020.
ROWING – Country’s Best Rowers on Show at Australian Rowing Championships
Australia’s best rowers showed their form ahead of Tokyo 2020 across the weeklong National Championships regatta in Lake Barrington, Tasmania.
Around 1600 rowers from across the country descended on the picturesque Tasmanian course, including Rowing Australia’s national squad members, competing in their club and state teams.
The final events of the week-long championships were the Queen’s and King’s Cup – the interstate eights showdown. Victoria took out both the men’s and women’s events, with Rio Olympians Joshua Booth and lucy Stephan helping their respective crews to the title.
“We executed our race plan, had a couple of young guys in the boat that brought some good belief and brought a lot of energy – it paid off, it felt like we hung on to it by the skin of our teeth,” Booth said.
“The atmosphere when everyone’s down here and with the finals – it’s just electric, and it’s just a nice place to be. After so long at Penrith, it’s a really welcome change of environment, and great to take the best of Australian Rowing all around the country.”
DIVING – Aussie divers shine at World Cup Selection Trials
The Australian diving squad’s first major hit out of the year is underway in Brisbane, with divers battling for positions at the 2021 World Cup Selection trials.
On day one of competition, Declan Stacey and Domonic Bedggood took out the men’s synchronised platform.
Competition continues throughout this week, you can follow along on Diving Australia’s channels.
SHOOTING – Tokyo bound shooters impress at Performance Series
Australian sharpshooters were in action around the country, with the Adelaide Grand Prix and Yarra Valley Shotgun Grand Prix.
Queensland’s Dane Sampson recorded his season-best 50m Rifle 3 Positions final score to maintain his unbeaten event record in the 2021 Performance Series competition when capturing the gold medal in the Adelaide Grand Prix at Wingfield Rifle Range.
Tokyo-bound Sampson fired 460.7 points in the final to defeat South Australia’s Jack Rossiter (457.0 points), claiming his fourth successive 50m Rifle 3 Position win of the season.
Victoria’s Elise Collier produced a last gasp gold medal victory in the Mixed 10m Air Rifle final, tallying 248.8 points to defeat South Australians Katarina Kowplos (248.0 points) and Alex Hoberg (228.5 points). In a closely fought final, Collier had to survive a shoot-off with Hoberg to enter the all-women gold medal round against Kowplos.
In the Yarra Valley, Victoria’s Penny Smith (43 from 50 targets) scored a comfortable five target victory over her Tokyo Olympic Games team-mate, Laetisha Scanlan (38/50), with rising 20-year-old Alexis Preston (28/40) completing the podium placings.
