WA SUCCEEDS IN SUVA

WA has established itself as a leading force at the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships after an exciting team of 13 athletes delivered in Suva, Fiji.

WA’s leading athletes produced several remarkable performances at the Championships and will bring home 10 medals.

Decathlete Jaxon Stewart (Russel Mathanda) produced a slew of strong performances in the Under 18 Men’s Decathlon to secure Australia’s first gold medal. In a tight battle across all ten events with NSW athlete Bailey-Dean Latanis, it was Stewart who managed to come out on top with an impressive 6,509 points and a personal best of 6.67m in the long jump.

Leah O’Brien (Braiden Clarke) added Oceania Champion to her growing athletics resume, storming down the track to win gold in the Under 18 Women’s 100m Sprint. Backing up an outstanding 2023 domestic season that saw O’Brien make the Australian Open Women’s 100m final, O’Brien stormed away from the pack in the final to cross the line in 11.97 (-0.2).

Cruz Hogan (Morgan Ward) opened the Championships for Australia on Day One with a silver in the Open Men’s Javelin Invitational event with a huge throw of 73.92m. Backing it up on day six, Hogan nabbed a bronze with his opening throw of 70.90m in the Oceania Open Men’s Final.

WA’s impressive javelin pedigree continued to produce results. Gemma Buckle (Janno Van Der Linde) threw a personal best of 52.52m to claim gold and set a Championship Record, while fellow West Australian Olivia Williams (Kim Bondini) secured silver with 44.15m in the Under 18 Women’s event.

In a dramatic finish to the Under 18 Men’s 100m final, Kai Gale (Aaron Bresland) put his best foot forward to clinch silver. With only 0.23 splitting the first four, Gale secured second place crossing the line in 11.00 flat.

Matthew Dodds (Alwyn Graham) delivered a solid performance in the Under 18 Men’s 3000m to claim silver on debut for the green and gold. Battling warm and windy conditions, Dodds flew down the final 100m to secure second and cross the line in 9:12.61. While fellow WA middle distance runner Benjamin Patterson (Paul Heywood) made his debut in the Under 18 800m, crossing the line sixth in 1:55.07.

World Under 20 bound athlete Amelia Rowe (Brian Pozzi) made her international debut in Fiji with an impressive bronze medal in the Open Women’s 400m in 55.18.

Out in the field, WA High Jumper Jonathan Waddingham (Albert Cianfrini) leapt his way onto the podium with a single jump of 1.85m to claim bronze in the Under 18 Men’s High Jump and add to the medal tally.

WA’s bronze haul continued with an impressive performance by Anika Gosling (Allana Wignall) in the Open Women’s Discus. Gosling delivered a personal best of 51.83m to clinch third. Backing it up the next day, Gosling pushed herself into fourth spot in the Open Women’s Shot Put with a final throw of 14.02m.

Training partners Reese Prior (Danny Kevan) and Niamh Mac Alasdair (Danny Kevan) again battled it out in the Women’s Ambulant Long Jump final and 100m Ambulatory final. Jumping into strong winds, Prior pulled off a leap of 3.90m to claim fifth with Mac Alasdair following closely behind in sixth and a jump of 3.67m. In the 100m final, Mac Alasdair just missed a podium with an impressive 15.98 (-1.1) to secure fourth place while Prior came in at sixth finishing in 15.59.

Master's athlete Lynne Schickert  delivered a slew of impressive performaces at the championships, winning three of four events. Representing the 80-84 years category, Schickert jumped 4.3m in triple jump, 1.99m in long jump and crossed the line in 18:09.11 in the 2000m Steeplechase event to claim three gold medals. 

The complete results from the 2024 Oceania Athletics Championships can be found HERE.

To stay up to date with all the athletics action follow 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 Imogen McDonald (Athletics West)

Photo Credit: Oceania Athletics 

Posted 11 June 2024

Updated 20 June 2024