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EVENT CALENDAR |
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August 2010 |
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2010 Media
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 22 April 2010 |
Cairns runner sets new North Queensland Games record
Saturday, April 10, 2010
© The Cairns Post
CAIRNS runner Matthew Hawke has set a new North Queensland Games record, taking out the men's 1500m race at the Opening Ceremony at Barlow Park in Cairns last night.
Cairns Road Runners athlete Hawke, 20, contested a field of seven runners and took line honours with a new Games record time of 3:54.62, surpassing the former race record of 3:59.28 by almost four seconds.
Pictures: North Queensland Games
Cairns runners dominated the field taking first, second and third place.
In second place was Rorey Hunter with a time of 4:01.28, while Matthew Werner came in third with a time of 4:12.68.
The remaining place-getters were:
Fourth: Billy Bragg from Townsville, 4:17.57
Fifth: Brad Patti from Ayr, 4:49.56
Sixth: Daniel Currinckx from Townsville, 5:32.54
Seventh: Luke Roberts from Townsville, 6:26.28.
Townsville teen takes out women's 1500m race
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 22 April 2010 |
Townsville teen takes out 1500m race
Saturday, April 10, 2010
© The Cairns Post
TOWNSVILLE runner Isis Flynn-Pittar claimed victory in the women's open 1500m race during the opening ceremony of the North Queensland Games record at Barlow Park in Cairns last night.
Flynn-Pittar, 17, contested a field of seven runners and took line honours with a time of 4:52.50.
Pictures: North Queensland Games
Cairns runners took second and third place with Zoe Henderson placing second with a time of 5:03.15, while Cairns Road Runners athlete Emma Rooke placed third with a race time of 5:09.87.
The remaining place-getters were:
Fourth: April Middlebrough from Deception Bay, 5:14.41
Fifth: Brianne Rossato from Burdekin, 5:17.14
Sixth: Monique Van Cauwenberghe from Cairns, 5:32.51
Seventh: Andrea Collins from Cairns Road Runners, 6:29.97.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 22 April 2010 |
Cairns puts on first-class Games
Henry Tuttiett
Monday, April 12, 2010
© The Cairns Post
RECORDS were broken and crowds were strong as Cairns and the region hosted the 2010 North Queensland Games on the weekend.
More than 4000 athletes from across Australia and the world came to Cairns to compete in 40 sports, with the program of events set to finish this afternoon.
Pictures: North Queensland Games
Opened by Olympic cycling gold medallist Sara Carrigan and Premier Anna Bligh on Friday night, the games got off to a good start for Cairns athletes, with several 1500m runners performing well.
Cairns runner Matthew Hawke set a new Games record in the men’s 1500m event when he beat a field of seven to take line honours in a time of 3:54.62, surpassing the former race record of 3:59.28 by almost four seconds.
Cairns runners dominated the field, with Rorey Hunter and Matthew Werner taking the minor placings.
Fellow Far Northern runners Zoe Henderson and Emma Rooke finished second and third in the women’s 1500m, beaten by 17-year-old Townsville athlete Isis Flynn-Pittar.
Both Henderson and Rooke clocked times of just over five minutes, while Flynn-Pittar won with a time of 4:52.50.
>> Are you a North Queensland Games competitor or spectator with something to share? Submit a picture or post a message.
In the high jump, Josh Hall set a new games record, and a B-level Commonwealth Games qualifying height, of 2.22m at Barlow Park, narrowly missing his three attempts at 2.25m.
Road cycling events held south of Cairns on Saturday morning attracted a large field, with Carrigan on hand to start the race.
Victorian Kyle Marwood set the overall fastest time, taking out the elite division in 25:13 followed by Tableland cyclist David Edwards, who won the under-19 male division in a time of 25:52.
North Queensland Sport Foundation manager Stuart Gibson said weekend performances maintained the event’s reputation for producing high-quality sport.
"There has been some great sporting action," he said.
"The canoe polo looks set to get bigger, the women’s rugby league will continue to develop and the football match at Mareeba on Saturday night was a quality game.
"Everyone has also been impressed with the venues. They have just been pristine everywhere we have gone."
He also praised sporting organisations across the Far North for offering venues to host events.
"I was very impressed with the horse sports at Herberton and the organisation that went into those," he said.
"In terms of organisation, they were hard to beat.
"But that has been the case right across the board, we can organise the Games but without the local organisations, they wouldn’t have happened.
"Everyone has really risen to the occasion."
A full list of results will be printed in The Cairns Post on April 19.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Monday, 12 April 2010 |
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ANTONY STEWART
April 12th, 2010
FOREGOING Easter-time gorging and 20th-birthday partying has paid off big time for Townsville high jumper Josh Hall.
Hall smashed the North Queensland Games record for the event in Cairns yesterday and picked up his fourth Commonwealth Games B-qualifier in the process at Barlow Park.
The North Star club member jumped 2.22m - a personal best - beating his nearest rival by more than 40cm and the record by 7cm.
He attempted an A-qualifier 2.25m, which would have guaranteed selection for this year's Delhi Games, but narrowly failed.
Nevertheless Hall is well on his way to earning an Australian team call-up with his series of B-qualifiers, while he will continue his quest for an A at the national titles in Perth at the weekend.
''It's a really good meet to go up to and it was just really good to get that sort of result a week before nationals,'' he said.
''It shows that I have been doing the training and hopefully it all comes together next week.''
Hall said it took plenty of self-control to turn up to Cairns in tip- top shape, especially in the wake of a preceding Easter-birthday double, but was glad he did.
''I ate a little bit, but I didn't hack into everything,'' he laughed.
''It was good that I didn't do too much and to come up here and do what I did was really great.''
He will leave for Perth on Wednesday, confident Games selection is within his reach.
Based on previous selection policies, Hall believes he is a major chance of heading to India if he can back up his B-qualifiers with a top-three finish at the nationals.
But he will not take anything for granted.
''If I get an A, that's automatic, I'll have my tickets to go,'' Hall said.
''I have been aiming for 2.25m since the start of the season and I'm nearly there.''
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 20 May 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 26 March 2010 |
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Smith takes surprise run at world champs
CRAIG BAXTER
March 25th, 2010
TOWNSVILLE sprinter Shannon Smith's rapid rise has hit new heights with her selection for this year's World Junior Championships.
Smith, 18, will represent Australia in the 4 x 400m relay team at the World Juniors in Canada in July.
It follows a season of stunning improvement in which Smith has carved almost four seconds off her personal best time en route to winning bronze in the under-20 400m at this month's national junior athletics championships at Sydney Olympic Park.
But Smith was still surprised to get the call from selectors on Monday, with her nationals time of 54.99secs just .19secs outside the world juniors qualifying mark.
''I just missed the qualifier for the individual event and I'd given up on going, I thought I'd lost my last chance,'' Smith said. ''I just got used to the idea that I wasn't going, it was an awesome surprise.''
Smith's best 400m time until this season had been a 58.9secs recorded three years ago.
She had endured a dispiriting run with leg injuries and taken a break from athletics before linking a year ago with coaches Cameron Clayton, Athletics North Queensland's development officer, and Brent Goriss.
''I had problems with my hamstrings, I tore them about six times, and a few knee injuries as well,'' Smith said.
''I had a 12-month hiatus from the sport, I was a bit dejected because I just kept getting injured every time I tried to run.
''About a year ago I took on Cameron Clayton as my track coach and Brent Goriss as my gym coach. I just started working hard, strengthening myself so I had a better chance.''
Smith, who lowered her personal best by more than a second at nationals, has surprised herself with her improvement.
''Every time I knocked another second off I thought, 'Okay, that's it now, I can't do much better','' Smith said.
''But I just kept doing better and better.''
Clayton said Smith had made a quantum leap since a year ago.
''When Shannon and I first started training she did a 400m time trial in 68secs,'' Clayton said.
Clayton tipped Smith had more improvement to come.
He said while most 400m runners had a solid background over 200m and 800m, Smith's grounding was only over 200m and 400m.
''She's still got plenty of areas to improve in, which is the exciting part,'' Clayton said.
''Technically she's a lot better than she was 12 months ago, but aerobically she still has a large margin to knock off
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Tuesday, 16 March 2010 |
16 Mar, 2010 09:12 AM
MOUNT Isa's star sprinter, Mason Holm, has returned home from Sydney after competing at the National Under 20 Track and Field Championships.
Holm was optimistic of a good showing after producing impressive trial runs in the lead-up.
Competing in the 100m and 200m events, he failed to find his best and was unable to make the final in either event.
Holm made the task nearly impossible by missing the start in both events, a crucial mistake at events such as the nationals.
After working tirelessly at Sunset Oval every afternoon in preparation, the 18-year-old was disappointed with his performance.
"I just couldn't get into it, especially after missing the start," he said."It's disappointing, because I've been training well.
"I've just got to put it all behind me now, and look forward to the next event."
Holm's attention now turns to the state titles in Brisbane on Saturday.
"I just need to be quicker out of the blocks in Brisbane," he said.
"It's a lot easier when you get off to a good start.
"I need to keep my technique right and trust it, instead of trying to muscle it out if I miss the start."
Holm flies out to Brisbane on Friday, with a much more relaxed attitude.
"Hopefully I can stay focused and relaxed, and make the final," he said.
He will contest the 100m sprint and triple jump events, scrapping the 200m in Brisbane.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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NICOLA GAGE
05 Jan, 2010 09:41 AM
HE may be one of the country's future sport stars.
And although he still has a long way to go, Denzil Perkins, 5, seems to be on the right track.
The St Joseph's Primary student is interested in every sport under the sun - athletics, gymnastics, soccer, golf, swimming, boxing, you name it.
"I just love all sports," he said.
His favourite sport however, is running with his sights on the 100m sprint in particular.
With not many years of practice behind him, Perkins already has a list of achievements behind him.
"I'm the current club record holder for the five-year-old boys' 60m hurdles," he said.
On top of that, Perkins also holds the club record for 70m and 100m sprints, as well as the title of 2009 Sub Junior Club Champion.
While he has already achieved what a lot of adults may not, Perkins is still looking into the future.
"I want to be a professional footballer," he said.
But in the more immediate future, Perkins said he wanted to continue to improve his athletic ability and gain more personal bests.
"I want to break more records and to eventually represent the club at other athletic meets," he said.
His latest achievement was receiving six gold medals and a bronze at the 2009 Leichhardt Gymnastics Competition.
He was also the overall winner for the Men' Artistic Gymnastics Level O Under.
While he said that he did like to make personal bests, Perkins said the best thing about sport was making friends and having friends.
Perkins' mum and dad are the main influences in his sporting life, but he has many idols in the arena.
"I like Matthew Bowen, Scott Prince, Jonathon Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater," he said.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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BRAD THOMPSON
11 Feb, 2010 09:10 AM
Mount Isa's representatives for this year's Suncorp Games are gearing up for rigours of competition, with the event now less than two months away.
Certain starters at the games include a swag of athletes from Mount Isa Athletics Club, and president Dave Scott reveals a team of up to ten could be on their way to Cairns to compete.
"There will be up to ten athletes going to the Suncorp Games from the athletics club," he said.
"The Sweeneys and the Dixons will be going, and I'm sure a few others will nominate."
From the Sweeney family, Tony, an all-rounder, will accompany Liam and James, who will compete in the under 15 sector.
Liam is a highly promising jumper, and James is an up-and-coming thrower.
While from the Dixon brigade, Ken and Sharon will head east with daughter Nikki, who will attempt the under 15 throwing event.
Ken and Sharon will take on the masters throwing competition.
The Mount Isa Judo Club will be well represented also, with seven aspiring judoists set to compete in the junior event.
With just 58 days to go until the 2010 Suncorp North Queensland games, organisers announced Olympic gold medal cyclist, Sara Carrigan will be the Games Ambassador for this year's event in Cairns.
Sara Carrigan embodies what the Suncorp North Queensland Games is all about having been identified through a High School Sports Talent Search when she was 15. Some of Sara's greatest successes include winning gold in the 130km road race at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games; being named a 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games medallist; two time National Champion; and a World Cup winner.
There was further positive news for Games organisers following the Sports Directors meeting on Monday, February 1, with confirmation of additional sports that will bring the total number of sports at the Games to over 40. The sport of AFL, featuring a masters' competition, has been added to the strong line up of sports to be contested at the Games. It is also hoped that as well as three North Queensland teams taking part on the AFL competition, a team from the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory will head to Cairns for the event.
The unique sport of canoe polo will also be included for the first ever time in the Games' history.
Indoor bowls, whilst a friendly sport, is tipped to be fiercely competitive during this year's competition.
Rumour has it that the oldest competitor in the 2010 Games will feature in the indoor bowls competition.
Another equestrian discipline has also been added in the form of Show Horse.
The equestrian program for the Games is huge and more details will be released in the next couple of weeks.
There is also a very good chance that skateboarding will also be included in the Games at the excellent facility on the Esplanade in Cairns. Planning is underway at the moment, with more details to be issued soon.
As is always the case with the Suncorp North Queensland Games, there are a number of sports that are included that don't necessarily fit into the high profile category of sports.
As well as the afore-mentioned canoe polo, the sport of cable wakeboarding makes its first appearance in the biennial Games. This will be staged at the Cable Ski Cairns in Smithfield and will attract a lot of interest.
The unique sport of canoe polo will also be included for the first ever time in the Games' history.
Indoor bowls, whilst a friendly sport, is tipped to be fiercely competitive during this year's competition.
Rumour has it that the oldest competitor in the 2010 Games will feature in the indoor bowls competition.
Another equestrian discipline has also been added in the form of Show Horse.
The equestrian program for the Games is huge and more details will be released in the next couple of weeks.
There is also a very good chance that skateboarding will also be included in the Games at the excellent facility on the Esplanade in Cairns. Planning is underway at the moment, with more details to be issued soon.
As is always the case with the Suncorp North Queensland Games, there are a number of sports that are included that don't necessarily fit into the high profile category of sports.
As well as the afore-mentioned canoe polo, the sport of cable wakeboarding makes its first appearance in the biennial Games. This will be staged at the Cable Ski Cairns in Smithfield and will attract a lot of interest.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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BRAD THOMPSON
16 Feb, 2010 09:36 AM
Emerging young athlete Martinus Larsen is just as graceful in the air as he is on the ground.
The born-and-raised Mount Isan has proved in recent years he is just as capable on the athletics track as he is on the dance floor.
Better known as 'Mars' the 15-year-old has been forced to mix his Irish dancing commitments with competing in track and field athletics events.
The Good Shepherd Catholic College student last year finished third in the Queensland Irish Dancing Championships, and combined that feat with a number of impressive performances at the Athletics North Queensland (ANQ) Championships.
Mars was crowned the age champion at the school athletics in 2008 and 2009, and also claimed the swimming title last year.
He was also the senior male points champion at the 2009 ANQ championships, and now holds eight club records.
Larsen also qualified for the ANQ Development Squad in 2009 for 100m, 400m and pole vault.
At his first attempt at the pole vault event, Larsen produced a state qualifying height, and was invited to attend the 2009 ANQ Oz-Squad camp.
His 400m time of 55.46secs at the ANQ Championship was the second fastest time for the 15-year-old division in North Queensland this year.
To add to his string of quality performances, Larsen recorded the second fastest 100m and 200m times, and managed the third best overall distance in the triple jump, outlining his all-around capabilities.
If it weren't for commitments at the Queensland Irish Dancing Championships, he almost certainly would have been selected for the North West Regional Schools team to compete in the 2009 Secondary Schools State Championships.
Larsen believes the best part of competing in athletics is the the chance to meet new people and pushing the boundaries of your body.
"It's a great way to meet new people, it is a lot of fun," he said.
"I really enjoy pushing myself harder and harder in competition - it's a huge rush to see how far you can go."
He has been competing in athletics for four years, and rates the 400m as his favourite event.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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BRAD THOMPSON
24 Feb, 2010 09:26 AM
MOUNT Isa Athletics Club best and fairest recipient for last year, Jacob Cooper is embarking on a journey that will hopefully lead to him qualifying for the this year's ANQ Development Squad.
The 15-year-old moved to Mount Isa from Taroom, and has lived here for the past three-and-a-half-years.
H owever, this week the Spinifex student will be leaving for Longreach.
One of Cooper's Mount Isa coaches, Ken Dickson said it was disappointing to lose such a promising talent, but believes he will be well served by the Longreach coaches.
"Jacob will be sadly missed, but they do have some great coaches up there," he said.
"He was one of most consistent performers and that's why he was our best and fairest last year.
"He is one of the hardest working and most determined trainers in Mount Isa."
Cooper's favourite events include the 200m, 800m, 1500m and the javelin.
The up-and-coming athlete reveals he enjoys the chance to travel and meet new people through athletics.
"It's lots of fun because you get the opportunity to travel to new places and meet different people," he said.
He attended two carnivals last year, clocking up a lengthy 1400km to participate in the events.
A representative for Mount Isa at the 2009 regional schools championships, Copper also set a new record for the 15-year-old category at the Mount Isa schools competition in 2009.
Copper attributes his success to working with his coaches in Mount Isa.
"Ken Dickson and David Scott have taught me a lot, I owe a lot to them - they're great coaches," he said.
His other interests include football, soccer, and cross country.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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BRAD THOMPSON
02 Mar, 2010 09:47 AM
ASPIRING young athlete Dan Woodhouse is heading down the pathway to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
The 11-year-old confessed sporting fanatic is the reigning points champion at the Mount Isa Athletics Club.
Also a keen and talented rugby league player, Woodhouse hopes to one day play out a career as a NRL player or athlete.
Renowned for his slick running skills, the St Joeys student labels the 400m sprint as his favoured event.
"I like the 400m because it requires stamina and a sprinting finish," he said.
Originally from Cairns, Woodhouse has resided in Mount Isa for nearly three years, and has been involved with the athletics club for two of them.
He admitted his goals for this year we're to try his best and have some fun in the process.
"It's great fun competing against other people at the club, but hopefully this year I can travel a bit and compete against some different opposition," he said.
"I just want to do my best, and see what happens."
Woodhouse is also the age school champion and has represented swimming, cross country and athletics at district level.
'I also like to play a bit of footy, cricket, touch and soccer," he said.
He was also elected sports captain for Nolan in 2010.
Woodhouse attributes his success to coach David Scott, who he branded 'coach awesome' and his assistant Ken Dickson.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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BRAD THOMPSON
02 Mar, 2010 09:49 AM
It's now time to blow the dust off the old sandshoes and wash your smelly socks as the Mount Isa Athletic Club kicks off the 2010 athletics season with their sign-on to be held on Sunday, March 7.
If volunteer numbers permit, the club is hoping to have a few coaching stations operating where new members can get a crash-course in some of the athletic events.
There will also be a second sign-on on Sunday, March 14, with both days starting at 10am at Sunset Oval on Abel Smith Parade.
This year will see the club trialling Sunday morning competitions in an effort to avoid the worst of the searing Mount Isa sun.
The first competition day will be on Sunday, March 21 and is planed to commence at 9.30am and assistance will be required with set-up from 8:30am.
Being an amateur club means there is no age limit upwards, making it one of the few sports where the whole family can compete.
A number of adults train and compete, and it is great for the kids to see their parents 'have a go' just like they do.
Athletics is open to anyone turning five years old in 2010, and extends right through to Masters.
If any registered athlete has a younger brother or sister turning four years old they are also able to join, however extra parental supervision is required for this age group, and all new athletes will need to bring along a copy of their birth certificate for sighting when registering.
After record registrations last year, the club was looking for more volunteers on the oval with measuring, raking, time-keeping, retrieving shot puts and discus' and just keeping a watchful eye on the kids.
It is very easy and a fun way to see how well your children are doing. Lack of assistance in recent years has forced the club to introduce a family levy.
The levy is a fee which is to be paid at time of registration and refunded at the end of the season provided that a parent or guardian has assisted the club at least half the time their child has attended.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Friday, 12 March 2010 |
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To view this article click here
Athletes keen to get on track
BRAD THOMPSON - North West Star
12 Mar, 2010 09:50 AM
ENCOURAGING numbers are already turning out for Mount Isa Athletic Club's training sessions with 26 attending the pre-season session this week.
A number of the athletes will make up part of the 14 strong team which is heading to Cairns in April for the Suncorp North Queensland Games.
If the intensity that some of the athletes are already putting in is any indication, good results should be the order of the day.
This week saw the arrival of the Athletics North Queensland (ANQ) development officer Cameron Clayton.
Clayton will be conducting athletic clinics at a number of schools around the district as well as a special session for the club's Development Squad Qualifiers and hopefuls.
He will also assist club officials at the second of the clubs sign-on days on Sunday from 10am at Sunset Oval.
The seasonwill start on March 21, with competition getting underway at 9.30am.
One of Mount Isa's star athletes, Mason Holm, is currently in Sydney competing at the National Under 20 Track and Field Championships.
Holm is hopeful of good results having already run a blistering 100m time of 11.2 and 22.3sec in the 200m event.
The 18-year-old has been putting in the hard yards at Sunset Oval every afternoon.
"Hopefully all of the training pays off," Holm said. "The body is feeling really good at the moment, so hopefully the results reflect that."
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 04 March 2010 |
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Bannister is back
March 4th, 2010
THROUGH all the injuries and all the time spent on the sidelines, Australian javelin record holder Jarrod Bannister never stopped believing he would return to action better than ever.
The Townsville product, the forgotten man of Australian track and field, is finally back after a wretched 18 months which began when he suffered a serious elbow injury midway through the Olympic final, cruelling his medal hopes in Beijing.
He was sitting in fourth place at the time, before eventually slipping to sixth - the best-ever result by an Australian male javelin thrower at Olympic level.
Bannister's big breakthrough came when he smashed the Australian record with a throw of 89.02m at the 2008 national championships - an effort bettered by only two other men worldwide in the following two years.
The knowledge that he has done it before buoyed the 25-year-old through two bouts of elbow surgery, plus operations on both ankles.
Having bettered the Commonwealth Games A qualifying standard with a throw of 81.05m last weekend in the first major meet since his return to competition, Bannister will again lock horns today with former world champion Tero Pitkamaki of Finland in one of the feature events of the Melbourne Track Classic.
''Six months before I threw the personal best I had problems with stress fractures,'' said Bannister.
''I had a sore elbow which eventually turned into a fracture at the Olympics.
''... Obviously you're going to look back (and think about what could have happened if he had stayed fit in the Olympic final). I was feeling great, I really felt like I could have done it.
''It's all ifs and buts and you've just got to let it go and know that what I'm working towards now is bigger and better.
''Basically I've learnt from it and I want to use it as a building block.''
Bannister divides his time between bases in Germany and Melbourne.
And he is now able to call on the expertise of coach Uwe Hohn all year round after the Australian Sports Commission hired the former East German javelin legend to head up a six-month pilot program.
In addition to coaching Bannister, Hohn can also assist Australia's other top-line throwers such as discus world champion Dani Samuels and shot putter Scott Martin, while identifying further young talent.
''I've always had that belief that I can be better than what I've already done - I believe I can throw into the mid 90m,'' said Bannister.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 04 March 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 25 February 2010 |
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Townsville high jumper's high expectations - http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/02/25/118145_sport.html
ANTONY STEWART
February 25th, 2010
OVER-excitement may have cost him automatic selection for the Commonwealth Games but Townsville high jumper Josh Hall is adamant qualification is just around the corner.
The 19-year-old recorded his second B-qualifier with a winning 2.21m jump at an under-21 trans-Tasman athletics meet in Auckland, New Zealand on the weekend.
Hall then went for an A-qualifier 2.25m, but his feet knocked the bar off.
An A-qualifier gives athletes an automatic spot in the Australian team for the Delhi Games while a B-qualifier only makes them eligible for selection.
''I got over the A-qualifier but I tipped it with my foot, I didn't flick my legs,'' Hall said.
''I thought I was over, I just got a bit excited a bit early and lost a bit of concentration.''
The 2.21 jump equalled his personal best recorded in Townsville in October last year, although he said he cleared the bar with space to spare this time around.
''Back then I made the bar wobble, but I had a bit to spare, I cleared it quite comfortably,'' Hall said.
With the confidence taken from the near miss, which defeated his closest rival by 18cm, Hall is confident he can make up for the mistake before the end-of-April selection cut-off. His next focus is the Melbourne Grand Prix meet, which starts today week, before he has two local competitions and the national titles in Perth in April.
''I know I can make it over it, it's just a matter of time,'' Hall said.
''The selection policy is you have to have an A (qualifier) or at least two Bs to be eligible but it would be better to have three or four to be ahead of someone who did jump two, '' he said.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 March 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Monday, 22 February 2010 |
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In what was an outstanding performance from the 16 competing Australians against a much larger New Zealand team, Josh Hall posted the performance of the day leaping a Commonwealth Games B-qualifying height of 2.21m in the men’s high jump and placing him in a fantastic position ahead of further competition that will culminate with the Go for 2&5 88th Australian Athletics Championships and Selection Trials to be held in Perth in April.
For more info click here.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 March 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Monday, 22 February 2010 |
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IT has been a long 18 months but Jarrod Bannister is back.
The Olympic javelin finalist and Townsville product made a winning return from a long injury layoff at the Briggs Classic in Hobart at the weekend.
The 25-year-old, who is based at the Victorian Institute of Sport, had been sidelined by an elbow injury since finishing sixth at the 2008 Olympic Games.
The injury flared during his third throw at the Olympics, forcing him to forego his final three throws.
His winning throw at the weekend of 76.25m was well shy of his Australian record mark of 89.02, which earned him the world No. 1 ranking heading into the Olympics.
Townsville's Ashley Hollins threw 62.99m, well short of his personal best of 72.24m, for seventh place after taking an elbow injury into the competition.
Meanwhile, Townsville high jumper Josh Hall won in Hobart but again missed out by 3cm on a Commonwealth Games B qualifier.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Monday, 22 February 2010 |
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TOWNSVILLE sprinter Matthew Bailey's bid for world junior championships selection gained momentum with a gold medal at the Queensland Age Championships in Brisbane.
Bailey, 17, slashed .41secs off his previous personal best in winning the under-20 400m in 48.08secs at the weekend. Bailey's world juniors hopes rest on him making another big improvement and achieving the qualifying mark of 47.30 seconds at next month's Australian junior championships in Sydney.
His coach Sue Boyd was confident last year's Australian All Schools runner-up still had plenty of improvement in him.
``He's still a little way off, we've got to get down to 47.30,'' Boyd said.
``But the way his times have come down from last month, and we've still got another month up our sleeve.
``We didn't taper for the states, this time he'll taper off and hopefully he'll better his time even more.
``We're hoping with the extra competition as well, once he gets down there, he'll be able to make it.
``It's amazing what you can do when you've got strong competition.''
Bailey also ran a personal best of 22.35secs in winning the silver medal in the under-20 200m. He had run a wind-assisted 22.27secs in the heats.
Other Townsville athletes also fared well, with Shannon Smith winning silver in both the under-20 women's 200m (25.16secs) and 400m (57.32secs).
Perac Gaidan was third in the under-20 women's 100m (12.90secs) and was unplaced in the final of the 200m.
* The Ross River Athletics Club is holding come and try nights from 6pm on Fridays at Kirwan High School.
Townsville North Star Athletics Club will hold its sign-on on from 2pm-5pm on Sunday, February 28 at Warrina Park, Currajong.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 February 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Thursday, 18 February 2010 |
16.02.2010
Olympic medallist to launch into action Down Under this summerFormer world champion and Beijing Olympic Games bronze medallist Tero Pitkamaki is the latest international challenger signed up to test his mettle against Australia’s top athletics talents this summer, the Finnish star heading south for the Sydney Track Classic on Saturday, February 27 and Melbourne Track Classic on Thursday, March 4.
The 2007 world javelin champion and bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympic Games will arrive in Australia ready to take on Australia’s own Beijing Olympic finalist Jarrod Bannister, as he aims to make a return to international competition at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, in October after a serious elbow injury threatened to derail his career.
The Sydney meet will be the first time Bannister and Pitkamaki have met since the ill-fated Olympic final of 2008, where Bannister injured his elbow in the third round of competition and was forced to withdraw. While his opening throw of 83.45m was enough to secure sixth position, the highest place and best ever throw by an Australian at an Olympic Games, Bannister has unfinished business on the javelin runway and will be wasting no time in staking his claim for Commonwealth Games selection when the 27-year-old Finn hits town.
Across a 10-year international career Pitkamaki has compiled an impressive resume, highlighted by his 2007 world titles win, 2008 Olympic bronze medal, a fifth place at last year’s world championships, two World Athletics Final titles (2005, 2007), an eighth place at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and a personal best of 91.53m.
Under the guidance of former world record-holder Uwe Hohn, the only athlete ever to have exceeded the 100m-mark with his throw of 104.80m in Berlin (GER) in 1984, Bannister is one of Australia’s brightest athletics prospects and is working with Hohn as part of a six-month pilot program commissioned by Athletics Australia to ensure Bannister is coached to the level the national sporting body believes he can achieve.
The 25-year-old Queenslander, who now resides in Melbourne, began working with Hohn in Germany in 2008. As part of Athletics Australia’s new initiative, Hohn has relocated to Melbourne to work more closely with Bannister and the national sporting organisation.
“It’s definitely a lot easier now that Uwe’s in Australia, we can pretty much work on all aspects of my throwing and my development so it's definitely a positive influence having him here,” Bannister said.
Athletics Australia High Performance Manager Eric Hollingsworth, who was the driving force behind bringing Hohn to Australia, said the former East German representative would look to develop the nation into a throws powerhouse as part of his role with the national sporting body.
“Uwe’s first role is to look after Jarrod Bannister, the highest-ranked javelin thrower in the country and a potential gold medal-winner in London, and his secondary role is to start the development and to research the information to develop Australia into a throws country,” Hollingsworth said.
“It’s a six-month pilot where we’re going to see how it all works out and then see where we go from there.
“The goal for Jarrod is Commonwealth gold and then a medal in the next Olympic Games, that’s got to be his target. He’s already been sixth at an Olympic Games so he’s got to go up from there and that’s why the investment has been made.”
Twenty-five year-old Bannister made a winning return to competition at the Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart at the weekend, launching the javelin 76.25m to take out the men’s event.
With a personal best of 89.02m, Bannister said he hoped Pitkamaki would help him to surpass the Commonwealth Games A-qualifying mark of 80m at Sydney Olympic Park next Saturday night.
“It’s good to have some of the top international guys coming over to compete in Australia, it’s definitely exciting,” Bannister said.
“Anyone that’s throwing further than you or even around the same distance is going to push you to throw better in that competition so hopefully I’ll get over the 80m-mark and I’ll be pretty happy.”
Bannister said it was a nervous return to competition at the Domain Athletics Centre on Friday night but vowed this was just the start of his comeback campaign.
“I was a bit nervous but it was exciting at the same time to be back out on the track. It’s a start but I’ve still got a lot to work on,” he said.
“I haven’t really been back throwing for a long time so there are some technical aspects that I have to improve but that will all get better as the year goes by.”
Pitkamaki joins David Neville (USA, 400m), David Rudisha (KEN, 400m/800m) and Trevell Quinley (USA, long jump) on the international guest list for the premier legs of the 2010 Australian Athletics Tour in Sydney and Melbourne.
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 |
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 Hall still in contention for Games selection - ANTONY STEWART
February 10th, 2010 TOWNSVILLE high jumper Josh Hall remains on track for Commonwealth Games selection despite failing in his mission to achieve an A or B qualifiing height at the weekend. Hall, who broke a meet record at the ANQ Championships late last year, finished second at the prestigious Brisbane Track Classic, jumping 2.16m. The 19-year-old attempted 2.21m, in what would have been a personal best and a B-qualifier for the Commonwealth Games team, but was unsuccessful. The athlete that won, Liam Zamel-Paez, jumped an A-qualifier 2.25m.
Athletics North Queensland development officer Cameron Clayton said Hall was still on course for selection for the Delhi Games. ''He's getting there and he's quite confident where he's at. He's got a lot of competitions coming up to fine tune before the April nationals in Perth,'' he said. ''He's ranked third in Australia with his 2.20m jump he did in Townsville at the start of October, so all's on track, it's just a matter of punching out one B-qualifier.'' Hall, recently named in the national under-21 talent squad, will compete at the Briggs Athletic Classic in Hobart this weekend - a part of Athletics Australia's five-meet tour. He will also represent Australia in New Zealand later this month. ''He's got plenty of time up his sleeve still and plenty of opportunities to do it,'' Clayton said.
Fellow Townsville athlete Shannon Smith also performed strongly in Brisbane. Competing in the 400m, Smith came third in 56.45 seconds - her second best time ever. With the 17-year-old needing to break 54.8secs to qualify for the World Junior Championships in Canada later this year, Clayton said it was solid return after a three-month off-season. ''We're really, really confident she can smash a fair bit off what she did the other night, so all is on track for Shannon as well,'' he said.
Smith will continue her push this weekend at the State Under-20 Championships in Brisbane, where she will be joined by Townsville competitors, runners Matthew Bailey, Peruc Gaidan and Billy Bragg.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 February 2010 )
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Media 2010
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Written by Cameron Clayton
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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 |
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- TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN - February 1st, 2010
HE may not have won a medal but Townsville athlete Ashley Hollins gained a lot of positives out of his fifth-place finish in the javelin at the Australian Athletics Cup in Canberra at the weekend.
Nursing an elbow strain and entering a brand new season, Hollins threw 67.98m - just under three metres short of second place.
New Zealand champion Stuart Farquhar smashed all-comers with his 81.11m but Hollins was glad to stay within striking distance of his Australian rivals.
''I struggled with the flight of the javelin but from second to fifth was very close so I'm not too worried about it at this stage,'' he said.
''It was my first competition back so it was good to get on top of it and it will be good to get another couple up my sleeve.
''The New Zealander who took it out is throwing really well and, other than that, from second to fifth there was only about three metres in it.
''None of those guys are out of my reach by any means - there's more in me.
''The conditions were ideal. The way they were I would have liked a better result, but hopefully in Hobart I can pull something bigger out.''
Hollins will compete in the Hobart Grand Prix on February 12 where he will line up against fellow Townsville product and Olympian Jarrod Bannister.
He will rest in the lead-up to that to get the elbow right and is confident of a strong showing.
''The elbow is pretty inflamed so I'll definitely get on that straight away, that's the first thing I'll deal with,'' he said.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 February 2010 )
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Media 
