Cool Connolly sizzles to win inaugural national 60m crown

The Australian Short Track Athletics Championships debuted in spectacular fashion last night (Saturday), as Olympians Ella Connolly and Lachlan Kennedy solidified their speed credentials, taking out the inaugural 60m titles at the iconic Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre.

The one-day championships marks a significant step in the development of short track racing in the country, providing a key platform for athletes to not only qualify for the World Indoor Championships in March but earn crucial world ranking points ahead of the World Athletics Championships in September.

Connolly, a NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder, was the star of the women’s 60m, delivering two lightning-fast performances, demonstrating her hunger to win after losing her Australian record earlier last month.

Clocking 7.16 (+1.3) in her heat, followed by a 7.17-second performance in the final – her quickest time was just 0.01 seconds shy of the World Athletics Indoor Championships qualifying standard, and 0.02 seconds off the Australian record set by Australian 100m record holder Torrie Lewis just last week.

The times firmly establish Connolly as one of Australia’s leading sprinters, with her sights set on breaking new ground on the global stage should she be selected for the Australian team for the World Athletics Indoor Championships held in China next month.

“I was really happy with how I put the race together, although I was so close to that automatic qualifying standard,” Connolly said. “I think it’s fun running the 60m. It’s different from anything else I’ve run before.

“It’s a lot quicker than the 100m and racing today was a great opportunity for us Aussies who don’t have an indoor track here in Australia yet. It allows us to do try and meet the qualifying times without having to leave the country.”

The Australian women’s 60m has built up incredible depth in recent times. While Connolly held the record throughout 2024, it was Western Australian Taylah Cruttenden that took the honour last month, before Lewis claimed it last week in Belgrade running 7.14. Cruttenden placed second in the Championship race tonight, clocking 7.20.

The women weren’t the only ones lighting up the track, with Australian 60m record holder Lachlan Kennedy (QLD) putting on a masterclass over the same distance, clocking 6.58 (+1.5) seconds in the heats, before a storming to a commanding victory in the final in 6.51 (0.7). Joshua Azzopardi, a NSWIS athlete, placed second in 6.60, while Jacob Despard (TAS) rounded out the podium in 6.67.

Kennedy, a former Australian junior rugby union representative, has set a new standard for Australian sprinting over the past month, first moving to number two on the Australian all-time list in the distance in January, before eclipsing NSWIS alumni Matt Shirvington’s 6.52-record with a 6.43 performance at altitude at the ACT Open and Under 20 Championships.

“I’ve always been decent at starts and always wanted to give the 60m ago because I thought I’d be decent at it, and the great thing is that we’ve got good talent here in ‘Azza’ (Azzopardi) and (Jacob) Despard. Everyone is running real rapid, and the girls as well, there have been multiple records go down this year. It’s been really good.”

Beyond the headline performances, the inaugural championships showcased Australia’s growing depth in short track events, with World Under 20 Champion Delta Amidzovski (NSW) claiming gold medals in both the Long Jump (6.25m, +0.6) and 60m Hurdles (8.12, +0.7).

Only a photo finish could separate the Sydneysider from Queenslander Emelia Surch in the hurdles, with the duo crossing the line 0.005-seconds apart.

NSWIS Long jumper Liam Adcock started his season with a bang, leaping to 7.97m (-0.1), defeating 16-year-old global medallist Mason McGroder (NSW) who impressed with a 7.70m landing on his second attempt.

In the Men’s High Jump, Roman Anastasios (VIC) opened his season with 2.20m, clearing three heights on his first attempt to take the crown, while World Under 20 Championships medallist Izzy Louison-Roe (NSW) claimed her maiden Open title with a 1.83m clearance.

Olympian Connor Murphy (NSWIS) leapt to 15.99m (-0.1) in the Men’s Triple Jump on his first attempt to defeat fellow New South Welshman Daniel Okerenyang (15.27, -0.6) and his NSWIS training partner Desleigh Owusu clinched gold in the women’s event with 13.35m (+0.9).

Victoria’s Georgia Tayler soared to 4.25m in the Women’s Pole Vault, achieving a new personal best to win over World Athletics Under 20 Championships bronze medallist Tryphena Hewett (SA) who finished the meet with a 4.05m clearance.

Formerly referred to as indoor by World Athletics, short track was introduced in November 2023 and encompasses performances achieved on a 200m oval track facility as opposed to a standard 400m oval track facility, and events held outside of traditional environments (street races, town square events).

Given Australia currently does not have a competition-ready 200m short track facility, World Athletics has granted a permit for the first Australian Short Track Athletics Championships to be held on a regular 400m track in events not requiring a banked 200m track – levelling the playing field for Australian athletes gunning to qualify for the World Athletics Indoor Championships and World Athletics Championships.

Full results can be found  HERE. 

Story: Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics 

Photo: Brodie Cross