2021 AUSTRALIAN T&F CHAMPIONSHIP | DAY FOUR RECAP

Day Four was headlined by two solid qualifying performances with a World Under 20 Qualifier for Mia Gordon in the Javelin and a Tokyo 2021 A-Qualifier for Sarah Edmiston in the F44 Discus.

Gordon faced a packed field in the Under 20 Javelin with three women throwing beyond the all-important World Under 20 distance of 50.50m. However, the West Aussie entered feeling ready to reclaim the lost year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s been a tough season, [I’ve been] stuck on 43m all season, [but] threw 47m at State’s. Last year leading up to the Australian Championships I was in a similar spot and was looking good to get that 50m, but then it got cancelled.” Gordon said.

Gordon prioritised the Australian Championships in 2021 and entered the competition feeling good. After a solid opening throw of 46.71m and a slight adjustment, not even Gordon was ready for what came next. Confident she could break the long eluded 50m mark, Gordon unleashed in the second round to throw a massive 53.28m.

“I was a bit nervous, but happy with my opening throw. When [my second throw] came out of my hand I thought it was okay. I knew I was capable of 50m, but I was totally shocked with 53m. It was crazy.”

Gordon’s throw obliterated her previous personal best by six meters and secured her the 2021 Australian Under 20 silver medal. Gordon then went on to qualify for the Open Women Javelin finals on Saturday night.  

The Open Ambulant Discus closed out Day Four of the competition. Sarah Edmiston and Jackson Hamilton represented the state in the women and men’s competition respectably. Edmiston pulled out all the stops and cleared 35.49m for another Tokyo 2021 A-Qualifier in the F44 Discus. Both Edmiston and Hamilton’s performance saw them collect silver medals to round the evening.

Brandon Ford staked his claim as one to watch with a strong performance in the Under 20 5000m. A valiant run saw Ford pull away from the pack early and looked comfortable with a steady tempo over the first 3000m. Ford was largely unchallenged and kept second place, crossing the line in 14:28.70. 

WA launched into Day Three with a gold in the Under 15 Girls Javelin. Emma Kempson secured her first National Title with a massive throw of 39.23m in the first round of competition. Young gun Emma Gabbitus threw 45.84m in the Under 16 Girls Javelin to collect silver and continue WA’s success in the Javelin

Danielle Graham and Luke Thompson backed up their outstanding Under 15 1500m performances with medals in the 800m finals. Graham capped off her stellar 2021 campaign with bronze and crossed the line in 2:14.53, while Thompson faced a tough challenge in the boy's race, but clinched the silver medal in a time of 2:02.76.

The afternoon session was kicked off with a silver in the Under 16 Men’s 200m Hurdles with Kayel Ascoli crossing second in a time of 26.89 (-1.4). Ashley Spencer and Lyndon Kenworthy-Groen followed suit in the Under 20 400m Hurdles. Spencer collected silver in the women’s final in a time of 60.98, while Kenworthy-Groen clinched the men’s bronze medal in a time 56.09.

WA’s relay success continued with two additional medals on Day Four. The Under 16 dream team of Evelyn John Jimmi, Sienna Fillis, Kate Nolan and Olivia Dodds returned to the medal dais with silver in the 4x200m in a time of 1:40.71. While in the Men’s Under 20 4x400m Relay, a gutsy effort by the boys saw them clinch the bronze medal. Liam Di Girolami, Nathanael Taylor, Tyson Gent and Cody Stanfield crossed the line in 3:21.26.

Day Four also saw Athletics Australia announce that Perth would be the host venue of the 2022 and 2025 Australian Track and Field Championships.

Day Five Preview

Day Five will see the return of the 100m on the Track with Under 20 National Champion Taylah Cruttenden lining up in the Open Women’s 100m heats alongside Rebecca Del Pup, Shannon Statham and Toni Walden. In the Open Men’s 100m Cooper Jenkins and Nathan Zemek will line up for WA.

Following the Day Four heats, Peter Bol, Thomas Moorcroft and Luke Shaw have progressed through to the Open Men’s 800m Semi-Finals. While recent 5000m National Champion Matthew Ramsden will lead the WA contingent in the first round of the Open Men’s 1500m. Ramsden will be joined by Thomas Moorcroft, Luke Shaw and Kiran Tibbals.

While out in the field, Jacob Hristianopoulos, Mackenzie Liddelow and Jacob Nock will look to qualify for Friday Night’s Open Men Long Jump final.

Day Five will conclude with the Open Men’s 10,000m Race Walk. Declan Tingay has been in hot form and will be the West Australian to watch in the tightly contested field. Benjamin Reid and Bradley Mann will also line up in the Championship event.

To keep up with all of the action from the 2021 Australian Track and Field Championships, be sure to check Team WA’s Daily Recap available via the Athletics West website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information about the Championships head to Athletics Australia’s event page or check out the Championship’s LIVE RESULTS HERE