News29 Feb 2004


Relay return for Pittman – last day of the Australian Championships

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Jana Pittman in the 4 x 400m relay at the 2004 Australian Championships (© Getty Images)

World 400m Hurdles champion Jana Pittman made a return from injury today running in the relay on the final day of the Telstra Olympic Team Athletics Trials.

Pittman who this year has been suffering from a number of related physical problems most recently a quadriceps injury made her return to the track in the women’s 4 x 400m relay. Pittman ran the second leg for an Australian ‘A’ squad - Katerina Dressler, Pittman, Rosemary Hayward and Annabelle Smith - which clocked 3:29.79.

Two more athletes gain automatic selection for the Athens Olympics

2001 World champion Dmitri Markov, and Stephen Hooker both cleared 5.65 metres in the men’s Pole Vault - the former taking the win on count-back - to secure two of the three spots available for the Australian Olympic team, leaving Paul Burgess (5th 5.30) and Viktor Chistiakov (3rd 5.55) to fight for the final spot over the next few months.

Hammer thrower Stuart Rendell came close to the Olympic automatic qualification (A standard - 78.65) throwing 77.40m to claim his eighth consecutive National title. His series was solid - 72.65m, 73.57m, 73.63m  75.63m, 76.63m, 77.40m – but just lacked that final spark.

National record for Adams

New Zealand’s Valerie Adams landed a 18.96m (Olympic ‘A’ qualifier) national record, producing a consistent competition (18.96m, 18.06m, 18.35m, foul, 18.29m, 18.32m) which promises so much more for the fast improving 19 year-old reigning World Junior champion. Adams was fifth in last summer’s senior World Championships in Paris and had a previous best of 18.93 (2003).

Hewitt wins 200m

After clocking an Olympic B qualifier in the heats of the women’s 200 metres (23.03), Lauren Hewitt did it again in the final, running into a strong headwind (minus 2.3m/s), crossing the line in 23.09 to win her fourth national 200m title ahead of Fiji’s 26 year-old Makeles Bulikiobo, whose 23.46 was a national record. Bulikiobo had also finished second in the 400m earlier in the championships.

In the men’s 200 metres, Nigeria’s Ambrose Ezenwa crossed the line in 21.12 ahead of Adam Miller (21.19) and David Geddes (21.36).

19 year old Petrina Price equalled her personal best in the women’s High Jump, leaping her second Olympic B qualifier (1.93 metres) to easily take out her third National title.

Shane Hair won the men’s Long Jump leaping a wind assisted 7.96 metres.

Denmark’s Ronholt remains on-form

In the women’s 800 metres, Denmark’s Rikke Ronholt took the win in 2:01.68, having also finished first in the Melbourne IAAF GPII race earlier this month. Tamsyn Lewis was third on that occasion but today finished second to win the Australian title. Lewis clocked 2:02.24, ahead of Libby Allen (2:03.33) - who had beaten her in Melbourne – while Suzy Walsham took fourth (2:03.94).

The men’s race also went abroad with Tanzania’s Samwel Mwera winning in 1:47.34, ahead of the first Australian, Kris McCarthy (1:47.99).

In the women’s 100 metres Hurdles, Jacquie Munro claimed her fourth consecutive National title, running 13.55 into a 4m/s headwind.

Continuing his recent winning form, Elliott Wood clocked a personal best of 50.05 to take his first men’s 400 metres Hurdles title.

Athletics Australia and IAAF 

For FULL RESULTS click here

 

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