Summer Olympic Sports in between Olympics thread.

[AdelaideGT]

Didnt realise she was Prez of athletics australia.

And it's her birthday today so I guess she will have a lovely day at Mile End.

But yes - saw her competing at OSF many times including the last Nationals held in SA in 1992. What a great competition that was too with Melinda Gainsford becoming a star and a fantastic men's High Jump where three broke the national record.

Mel is probably at Mile End too with her daughter Gabriella running in the junior sprints. Mel didn't really become world class until she turned 21 - perhaps it might be the same for Gabi.

 

[Drummond]

Torrie Lewis super impressive 22.94, a PB, in the 200m heat. Wow.

 

[Drummond]

Hollingsworth great run!!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Great back to back 800m from the women and mens.

2 u/20 athletes are Oz champions.

Hollingsworth was great but exoected. Now ranked 15th in qualifying period for Paris.

Luke Boyes of SA was sensational. Ran hard to the front with 450m to go then stayed there until about 80m to go when Bol passed him, then he fought back and got him 20-30m to go.

1.44.73 is 3 /100 seconds off autoqualifier for Paris but pack your bags son.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Great to have Bruce calling races on the PA after being in Sydney yesterday for the horses. Colby and Tamsyn are good as well.

Think Bruce as rejected a bid by 9 for him to call athletics at Parisbut Im sure the other 2 will sign up with9.

 

[PoopingHindi]

Ramsden?
great race. did not expect that from him with quality of the field.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Epic 5000m finish after a slow first 3 or 4 laps.

5 were a chance to win it with 50m to go, Ramsden snuck thru on inside to win by 0.05 seconds a smaller margin than between the 100m top 2 placings.

 

[PoopingHindi]

I’m hoping for a top 2 finish for Izzi in the women’s 5000.
I don’t think she’s got the speed if it comes down to a kick but hopefully some of the other girls will take it out hard.

the field is absolute quality even without Jess Hull. we should get another great race.

 

[Drummond]

Superb jump by Chris Mitrevski, 8.32!!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Chris Mitrevski pulled out a big final jump was in the lead with 8.03 but jumped an 8.32 PB, autoqualifer for Paris and ranked 7th in the world.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Dave Colbert very annimated and excited talking to Chris Mitrevski. I was 20m from the interview and the facial expression was he thinks Chris can be on the podium in Paris. Garry Honey who won silver in LA, 8.54 I think, also is a believer according to Colby.

Edit Lewis jumped 8.54, Honey got silver with 8.24.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Torri Lewis too good.

 

[PoopingHindi]

I haven’t watched a whole lot of this but from what I’ve seen the program is packed and there’s always something going on.
Aths meets can sometimes get boring with all the downtime so props to AA.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

I haven’t watched a whole lot of this but from what I’ve seen the program is packed and there’s always something going on.
Aths meets can sometimes get boring with all the downtime so props to AA.

Yeah they have stacked Saturday and Sunday from 2pm to 6pm with 36 national open age finals and a lot of heats and under 20 finals and para events in the morning.

Had a brief chat to Prez Jane Fleming before her media minder called her away for a presentation and I said you need nore small scoreboards at each event so that anyone in the stadium knows what everyone has achieved in each event even from the far end of the stadium. She said good idea and we were about to discuss it more but the media minder grabbed her.

 

[AdelaideGT]

scoreboards at each event

Little me used to sit up the top of the time-keeper's stand at OSF (when things were hand-timed) and put up the result for track races. I would always keep the crowd waiting a little by putting the most important number up last lol

 

[GreyCrow]

Little me used to sit up the top of the time-keeper's stand at OSF (when things were hand-timed) and put up the result for track races. I would always keep the crowd waiting a little by putting the most important number up last lol

They couldnt do that with Bannister - all they needed to announce was 3 and the rest of the time was lost to the loud cheer

 

[PoopingHindi]

Adam Spencer not getting automatic Olympic selection is a joke.
If winning nationals and running an Olympic qualifier doesn't get you on the team then what's the incentive for all the big dogs to come over from the US to race Aussie Champs?

they'd be better off staying at home where there's better racing and no interruption to training because of the travel.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Spencer was very unlucky not to be named. Contrast that with the women's 800 where they named two - which I was not expecting.

 

[PoopingHindi]

Spencer was very unlucky not to be named. Contrast that with the women's 800 where they named two - which I was not expecting.

very few of our track athletes have run an Olympic qualifying time so they won’t be named yet.
both those girls have run the standard and a top 2 finish at Nationals means they deservedly get selected.

Spencer has the time and the title too but apparently there’s another criteria that says you have to race domestically which he hasn’t met.
He’ll almost certainly get picked eventually but expecting Pro/College athletes based in the US to come back here to race is ridiculous.

 

[AdelaideGT]

expecting Pro/College athletes based in the US to come back here to race is ridiculous.

It can be hard for those in college to come over for more than the nationals but those who are not studying should certainly come back. They get AA funding and they should support our domestic season.

And the rule was also applied to others who don't reside overseas (eg Nina Kennedy and Kurt Marschall).

 

[PoopingHindi]

It can be hard for those in college to come over for more than the nationals but those who are not studying should certainly come back. They get AA funding and they should support our domestic season.

And the rule was also applied to others who don't reside overseas (eg Nina Kennedy and Kurt Marschall).

they’re paid by their sponsors and the racing in the US and Europe is a much higher standard.
it doesn’t make sense for them to take 2 weeks out of their season to run the Box Hill Classic

 

[AdelaideGT]

to run the Box Hill Classic

The Box Hill Classic (or Burn) isn't exactly part of the Australian circuit.

It's the Continental Tour meets AA need them to compete at. Melbourne (Gold), Adelaide (Bronze) and Canberra (Challenger) which all provide bonus points to athletes which contribute to World Rankings (which qualify them for Olympics/World Champs).

And I'm sure as Australian athletes, their sponsors would like them to be known by Australian audiences not some unfamiliar name who competes in the US where - in the men's 1500m - the US standard is the same (or lower) than in Australia. The Australian meets don't clash with major meets in the US or Europe. And international athletes can and do fly from the US to compete downunder like World Champion Jake Weightman did for the Melbourne meet..

But - regardless of sponsors - they get funding via AA, the AOC, the Australian Sports Commission/Foundation. And of course their flights/accommodation/gear etc to compete at major Games/Championships are funded solely by AA/IOC/CGF.

 

[PoopingHindi]

The Box Hill Classic (or Burn) isn't exactly part of the Australian circuit.

It's the Continental Tour meets AA need them to compete at. Melbourne (Gold), Adelaide (Bronze) and Canberra (Challenger) which all provide bonus points to athletes which contribute to World Rankings (which qualify them for Olympics/World Champs).

And I'm sure as Australian athletes, their sponsors would like them to be known by Australian audiences not some unfamiliar name who competes in the US where - in the men's 1500m - the US standard is the same (or lower) than in Australia.

But - regardless of sponsors - they get funding via AA, the AOC, the Australian Sports Commission/Foundation. And of course their flights/accommodation/gear etc to compete at major Games/Championships are funded solely by AA/IOC/CGF.

The US have Nuguse in the mens 1500m who is more likely to medal than any Aussie…and a few other fast guys too.
But it’s not just Americans they’re racing against. It’s high calibre athletes from around the globe and you don’t get that at Aussie meets.

 

[AdelaideGT]

It’s high calibre athletes from around the globe and you don’t get that at Aussie meets

Which is another great reason to come home and rack up 'easy (??) points in Aussie meets. A win/win/win for you/AA/Aussie fans of the sport.

Even world-class T&F athletes don't get paid anywhere near as much as our domestic footy players.

An athlete like Spencer might get a contract with a company like Nike.

He might get free gear to wear for the year and (maybe) something like a $25k retainer.

Contracts usually include bonuses based on World Rankings, performances in major competitions, national or World Records. This could be millions if you did a WR or win Gold or next to nothing for many.

But to do that you have to GET to those major competitions which requires you to get into your National Team, so doing EVERY thing you need to do to get there should form the main part of an athlete's plans for the year.

And (if you're accepted) you compete in Diamond League meets for the main part of the year.

Nuguse has about the same chance of medaling in the 1500m as maybe 5 Aussie runners. And - again - there are no Diamond League meets in Europe (or the US... or anywhere) while the Aussie season is happening.

 

[AdelaideGT]

Fast swimming this morning in the Aussie Champs.

Kaylee McKeown, Elijah Winnington & Meg Harris (a big PB to beat Mollie O'Callaghan in the 100 Free) were the standouts.

Finals tonight should be good although some were saying Kaylee may not swim the 200IM final.