Athletics Australia
7 March 2001 - A world-class exhibition of hammer throwing, the speed of a US Olympic gold medallist plus the remarkable endurance of Kenya's steeplechasers is set to highlight the Telstra Athletics Grand Prix at Hobart's Domain Athletic Centre on Sunday 11 March.
Commonwealth champion Stuart Rendell is aiming to become the first Australian to throw over 80m in the hammer throw on Sunday after last weekend increasing his own Oceania record to 78.41m in Canberra. In Hobart Rendell, who has won the past four national titles, will be pushed by World Junior bronze medallist Aaron Fish and local star Justin McDonald.
Hammer throwing has taken off in Australia in 2001 with 20-year-old Bronwyn Eagles smashing the women's Commonwealth record with a hurl of 68.73m to erase Debbie Sosimenko's name from the record books. Eagles is aiming to send the hammer over the 70m mark in Hobart against New Zealand record holder Tasha Williams and Sydney Olympian Karyne Perkins. If she can do so, Eagles' confidence will soar in her pursuit of a medal at the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada in August.
After clocking a fast 10.13 seconds over 100m in Perth last Sunday, US sprinter Kenny Brokenburr is gunning for the Hobart GP Meet Record of 10.22. The flashy athlete with gold and diamonds in his teeth won a gold medal in 2000 as a member of the victorious US 4x100m relay team.
One of the many features of the Telstra Athletics Grand Prix in Hobart will be the distance running events including the Australian 5000m Championships and 3000m steeplechase.
The men's 5000m Australian Championship will see Olympian Mike Power chasing the World Championships qualifying standards of 13:17.50 (A) and 13:25.00 (B) against Olympic marathon runner Rod de Highden and talented World Cross Country representative Brett Cartwright plus New Zealand's John Henwood and Blair Martin, and Kenya's James Getanda, David Kiplak and Edwin Mananga.
The women's national title should be a classic duel between marathon star and national 5000m record holder Kerryn McCann, Olympic 10,000m representative Kylie Risk from Tasmania, Olympic 1500m representative Sarah Jamieson and 10,000m star Liz Miller who was the first Australian over the line in the 2000 Zatopek Classic. Risk has been given this race to prove her fitness for the World Cross Country Championships to be held in Brussels in late March. Kenya's Faith Macharia will add further depth to this field.
The men's 3000m steeplechase should provide another Meet Record (8:27.80) with World Junior record holder Raymond Yator (KEN) up against Kenyan compatriots Stephen Cherona and David Chemweuno and a talented contingent of Australian steeplechasers led by Ryan Taylor.
Star Australian sprinter Lauren Hewitt, a World Championships 200m finalist, will highlight the short sprints over 100m and 200m against local favourite Emma De Bomford. In the 200m Commonwealth champion Nova Peris-Kneebone returns to the track following a niggling hamstring strain.
While Olympic 400m star Daniel Batman will be fired up to run a World Championships qualifying standard of 45.40s (AA) and 45.72s (A) and press for favouritism for this event at the upcoming national titles.
After clocking a fast but wind-assisted 13.57s over 110m hurdles in Perth, Australia's leading high hurdler Kyle Vander Kuyp will be looking for a repeat performance in Hobart in legal conditions. Vander Kuyp needs to clock a World Championships AA qualifying standard of 13.55s to further press his claims for Australian Team selection in 2001.
In the women's 100m hurdles 19-year-old Jacquie Munro has been dominant all season and is closing in on her personal best of 13.12s against close rival, training partner and Olympian Debbi Edwards.
World Junior champion over 400m hurdles Jana Pittman is looking to regain the form in Hobart that had her touted as Australia's next champion of the track. On Sunday Pittman will face another talented hurdler in Olympian Stephanie Price.
Other features will include Australian record holder Justin Anlezark in the shot put, Olympic javelin throwers Adrian Hatcher, Andrew Currey and Andrew Martin all fit and ready to throw over 80m with the javelin, form 800m runner Kris McCarthy looking to continue his dominance in this event against Kenyan stars Fred Onyancha and Sammy Langat and Nicole Mladenis pursuit to become the first Australian female to jump in excess of 14m in the triple jump.
