2024 AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY FOUR

WA has delivered a final flurry of Open titles on Day Four of the Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships as the first athletes were named in the team bound for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Matthew Ramsden (Nic Bideau) delivered one of the races of the Championships with a photo finish in the Men’s Open 5000m. Having collected the 3000m title in December in a diving finish against WA’s Jesse Hunt, Ramsden faced a stacked field to close out the Australian Championships. Delivering a sensational flying finish, Ramsden claimed the Australian title in 13:39.61, just 0.05 ahead of the NSW’s Morgan McDonald.

“It’s pretty unbelievable for me. My last race in Sydney was terrible, I came tenth. The last three weeks I have been working on my mental state more than anything. I haven’t really trained too hard, I’ve just been trying to make myself believe that I can win a race like this,” said Ramsden.

A fast finish from the pack forced the West Australian to sprint the final 100m hugging the rail before pushing past McDonald’s inside.

“I made a bit of a stuff up, I had to hug the rail down the home straight. I would have liked to go wide, but hugged the rail, then a spot just opened up for my long neck and [I] managed to get through. It is always a risk hugging the rail, but sometimes you just have to take the risk.”

Rhiannon Clarke (Danny Kevan) has concluded another dominant and history-making campaign with the West Australian once again collecting three Open Women’s national titles. Becoming the first person, able-bodied or para-athlete, to accomplish the feat in 2023, Clarke has defended all three titles in Adelaide. Building towards the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Clarke’s powerful run in the Open Women’s 200m final saw her cross the line in 27.18 to secure 95.36% of the baseline system.

World Championship bronze medallist Kurtis Marschall made light work of the Australian title in the Men’s Open Pole Vault final. The WAIS athlete’s opening jump of 5.42m was enough to secure him gold, with an additional clearance of 5.62m. Unfortunately, the Adelaide-born athlete was unable to progress any higher and bowed out with a medical retirement.

Named in the opening round of selections for the Australian team bound for Paris, Peter Bol (Justin Rinaldi) delivered a show-stopping Men’s Open 800m final. The Olympic finalist faced a tough challenge from Australia’s best with a slower opening lap placing Bol at the back of the pack. Leaving him with a large task over the final 300m, Bol pushed hard over the final 100m to move into medal contention and claim silver in 1:45.06.

WA capped off the final day of the Open and Under 20 Championships with a cracking Open Mixed 4x400m relay. The powerful combination of Adam Kopp, Rebekah Newton, Josh Hook and Amelia Rowe was unmatched with the quartet crossing the line in 3:25.33 to claim gold and the national title.

The morning got underway with a strong showing by WA’s para-athletes. Niamh Mac Alasdair (Danny Kevan) collected her first medal of the day with a bronze in the Under 20 Women’s Ambulant 100m final, crossing the line 15.72 for 83.33% of the baseline system.

Mac Alasdair returned to the podium alongside training partner Reese Prior (Danny Kevan) after collecting medals in the Under 20 Women’s Ambulant Long Jump final. Both athletes claimed international medals at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in the long jump, however Prior was able to elevate to gold in Adelaide, with Mac Alasdair claiming silver. Prior jumped 3.82m to claim the national title with 69.32% of the baseline system, while Mac Alasdair cleared 3.52m to secure 63.40% of the baseline system.

Ky Hehir (Matthew Ramsden) executed a tactical 1500m in the Under 20 Men’s final to secure the silver medal. The race ebbed and flowed as the athletes jostled for position, with the West Australian bidding his time before pouncing on the final lap. Kicking with 300m to go, Hehir worked his way through the pack to be the second Australia across the line in a World Under 20 qualifier of 3:47.77.

While in the Shot Put circle, Etienne Rousseau claimed his second medal of the Championships with a bronze medal in the Open Men’s final. Rousseau threw

Day Five will see WA’s best junior Athletes join the action with five days of athletics action set to unfold in Adelaide. The schedule and entries for the Junior can be found on Roster Athletics here.

The 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships will be held from Thursday 11 April to Friday 19 April at the South Australia Athletics Stadium in Adelaide. Spectators can purchase tickets for the four-day Championships HERE.

You can follow all the athletics action for the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships via Athletics West’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information about how you can get started in athletics, contact Athletics West on 08 6272 0480 or email admin@athleticswest.com.au.

By David Smith, Athletics West

14 April 2024