Hamish Peacock (Australia) (© Getty Images)
The 2007 Telstra All Schools and Youth Athletics Championships took place in Sydney Olympic Park over four days (6 to 9 Dec), with many of the young athletes who were performing aiming at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships, Bydgoszcz, Poland, 8 - 13 July 2008.
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Day 1 – 6 Dec: The first day of the Championships witnessed Jessica Gilfillan, achieving a meet record of 6.41.35 in the under-16 2000m steeplechase – the final event of the evening.
Vika Lolo from New South Wales posted the first World Junior qualifier and in doing so snatched back the shot put crown which eluded her last year. Lolo won the title with a 14.65m effort.
Day 2 – 7 Dec: Fifteen year-old Lauren O’Sullivan broke a 25-year-old meet record in the under-16 200m event.
Previously held by national champion Sue Broderick (WA), O’Sullivan cruised to victory in the comfortable time of 23.54, and in doing so, broke the meet record that had been standing since 1982, a staggering 10 years before her birth. In achieving such a time O’Sullivan also broke the under-16 Queensland age record and was fractions away from Cathy Freeman’s under-18 state record of 23.36.
Middle distance national record holder Ryan Gregson won the 3000m (8:39.00).
World Youth silver medallist Hamish Peacock shattered the under-18 Javelin Throw meet record. The 17-year-old bettered the previous meet record mark of 73.89m on four occasions.
Day 3 – 8 Dec: In the under-18 800m event, Trychelle Kingdom achieved a World Junior qualifying time of 2.06. Kingdom is now looking towards the IAAF World Junior Championships to be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland in July next year.
Seventeen year-old James Kaan made an astounding run in the 800m under-18 event clocking 1:49.29, Kaan was inside the qualifying standard required for consideration onto the World Junior Championships team.
Victorian teenager Kimberley Mulhall continued to impress, adding another World Junior qualifier to her belt with her 49.35m effort in the under-17 Discus Throw.
Day 4 - Dec 9: Carly Rodger of New South Wales won the under-16 90m Hurdles in a scintillating time of 12.41 to take out her hero Sally McLellan’s national under-16 record of 12.51, achieved in 2001.
Brooke Stratton produced a new under-15 Triple Jump meet record. The powerful Victorian, with striking platinum blonde hair, launched herself 12.16m on her final attempt this afternoon in Sydney, bettering the previous mark set by Rachel Steinberner in 1989 by 11 centimetres.
Athletics Australia for the IAAF
