WESTERN AUSTRALIANS SET TO SHINE IN SUVA

The 2024 Oceania Championships will feature 13 of Western Australia's finest athletes as part of a supersized Australian team competing in Suva, Fiji.

Starting on June 1, the competition will span eight days and bring together the best athletes from across the region as the path to Paris heats up.

Up and coming Decathlete, Jaxon Stewart (Russell Mathanda) will be the first of WA’s athletes to compete at the Championships, kicking things off with event one of 10, in the Men’s U18 100m Sprint on day two. Claiming silver in the U18 Decathlon event at the Australian Athletic Championships earlier this year, Stewart will be looking to one-up his performance and bring home gold.

Australian U20 400m Champion Amelia Rowe (Brian Pozzi) will continue her breakout season with a start in the Women’s 400m on day five. Recently qualifying for the U20 World Athletics Team with a PB of 53.09, Rowe will put her best foot forward in Suva for her first international competition representing Australia in the green and gold.

2023 Commonwealth Youth Games medallists Reese Prior (Danny Kevan) and Niamh Mac Alasdair (Danny Kevan) will step back onto the international stage for the first time as senior athletes in Suva. The training partners will again battle it out in the Women’s Ambulant Long Jump final on day seven, with Prior also participating in the 100m. While Mac Alasdair outperformed Prior at the Commonwealth Youth Games, it was Prior who claimed the most recent victory by winning gold at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Kai Gale (Aaron Bresland) will be looking to replicate his gold medal performance from the WA State Championships in the Men’s U18 100m on day four while Leah O’Brien (Braiden Clarke), who recently claimed silver in the U17 100m at the Australian Athletics Championships will also look to build on her success in Suva and climb to the top spot in the Women’s U18 100m.

Looking to make a bright start in his international athletics career, Matthew Dodds (Alwyn Graham) will debut for Australia in the Men’s U18 3000m on day five. Claiming bronze in the U18 3000m in Adelaide earlier this year, Dodds will give his best effort in the long-distance event.

Benjamin Patterson (Paul Heywood) will look to continue his success this season when he represents Australia for the first time in the Men’s U18 800m in Suva on day seven. Patterson has found form after bouncing back from a string of injuries, collecting silver in the Men’s U18 800m at the Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide. 

On the field, state record holder Gemma Buckle (Janno van der Linde) will look to extend her successful season in the Women’s U18 Javelin. After winning gold at the Australian Championships with an impressive throw of 48.63m, Buckle will strive to replicate her stellar performance on day seven of the Championships.

Olivia Williams (Kim Bondini) will join Buckle in the Women’s U18 Javelin while Cruz Hogan (Morgan Ward) sets his sights on another Oceania Champion title in the Men’s Open Javelin event. Recently missing out on a podium finish at the Australian Championships, Hogan will look to reclaim the top spot in Suva on day six.

State Champion Jonathan Waddingham (Albert Cianfrini) will look to continue his dominance in the Men’s U18 High Jump on day five, while Anika Gosling (Allana Wignall) will compete on back-to-back days in the Women’s Open Discuss on day four and Women’s Open Shot Put on day five.

The 2024 Oceania Area Athletics Championships will be held at HFC Stadium in Suva, Fiji from June 1-8, with streaming details for Australian audiences still to come from Oceania Athletics. 

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

The full competition schedule and live results can be found HERE.

A full list of the Australian team selected for the 2024 Oceania Area Athletics Championships can be found HERE or via Athletics Australia's media release.

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By Imogen McDonald (Athletics West)

Posted 31 May 2024 (Updated 4 June 2024)