Aidan Murphy in the 200m at the Oceanian Championships (© Oceania Athletics)
Aidan Murphy continued his remarkable breakthrough season by completing a 200m and 400m double at the Oceania Championships, held at Arafura Stadium in Darwin from 18-22 May.
The Australian first struck gold in the 400m on Tuesday (19), winning in a championship record of 44.44 – the second-fastest time ever by an Oceania athlete. Murphy took 1.40 seconds off the previous championship record held by defending champion Luke van Ratingen, who finished third this time in 45.04. Thomas Reynolds was second in 44.69.
Two days later, Murphy returned to win his 200m heat in a championship record of 20.28 (-0.4m/s), then he went even quicker in the final just two-and-a-half hours later in 20.05 (0.6m/s), his second-fastest time to date.
It marked the latest step in a rapid rise for the 22-year-old. Before this year, his 200m PB stood at 20.41, set in 2022 when he was an U20 athlete, while he had only once broken 46 seconds for 400m, with a best of 45.97.
He lowered his 400m PB to 45.12 in his first race of the year, then broke 45 seconds with 44.81 in February. Two weeks later, he improved his 100m PB to 10.23, before smashing his 200m PB with 19.88 at the Australian Championships, finishing runner-up to Gout Gout and becoming the second-fastest Oceanian man in history at the distance.
More recently, Murphy represented Australia in the 4x400m at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, where the team finished third in 2:55.20 to become the fourth-fastest nation in history. Murphy anchored the team with a 43.79 split.
“I’ve had my head down for two years in silence and I’m just happy to be here right now, finally seeing it all pay off,” said Murphy.
“I think I ran the perfect race,” he added of his 400m win. “It was really satisfying to take out the win. I was glad I had Tom next to me, he pushed me all the way to the line. I couldn’t have done it without him and Luke.
“If the national record isn’t broken this year, it will be next year. It’s just a matter of time.”
Hobbs, Azzopardi and McEntyre among record-breakers
Of the many championship records that fell in Darwin, the majority came in sprints and hurdles events.
Zoe Hobbs broke the championship record in the women’s 100m, winning in 11.00 (0.9m/s). The New Zealander improved on her own championship record of 11.09 set in 2022, finishing well clear of Australia’s Ebony Lane, who was second in 11.32.
Joshua Azzopardi won the men’s 100m title in 10.21 (-1.0m/s), having equalled the championship record of 10.19 in the semifinals. Jackson Rowe, who had clocked a wind-assisted 10.19 in the heats, took silver in the final in 10.26.
Cameron McEntyre became the first athlete to throw beyond 80 metres in the men’s javelin at the Oceania Championships, winning with a second-round throw of 80.53m.
In a highly competitive women’s long jump contest, Brooke Buschkuehl won with 6.70m from 19-year-old Delta Amidzovski, who jumped 6.69m. Both athletes went well beyond the previous championship record of 6.50m, set in 2019.
Buschkuehl took the early lead with 6.59m in the first round, but Amidzovski responded with 6.69m in round two. Buschkuehl improved to 6.65m in the third round, then produced the winning jump in round five.
Michelle Jenneke won the women’s 100m hurdles in a championship record of 12.87 (1.1m/s), while Sarah Carli improved her own 400m hurdles championship record from 2022 with 55.33.
Australia’s Matthew Hunt won the men’s 400m hurdles in a championship record of 49.77, and the senior programme came to a close on Friday with New Zealand winning the mixed 4x400m in 3:19.39, also a championship record.
Elsewhere, Australia’s Luke Boyes won the men’s 800m by more than three seconds, clocking 1:46.83, while compatriot Yual Reath cleared 2.28m to win the men’s high jump.
New Zealand’s Jacko Gill won the men’s shot put with 19.97m from teammate Nick Palmer, who threw 19.85m. Palmer led after the opening round, but Gill moved ahead in round three and held on for victory.
There was another New Zealand win in the women’s javelin, where Tori Moorby threw 60.40m to beat Mackenzie Little, who reached 60.18m.
Lauren Bruce added another title for New Zealand in the women’s hammer, winning with 70.64m.
