Olympic Games on the horizon

Several NSWIS athletes were in the medals over the weekend at the Sydney Track Classic, with Youcef Abdi clocking an Olympic qualifier in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.

Abdi, who finished sixth in the steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, finished with silver in 8:22.01 behind Kenyan Jairus Kipchoge to clock another Olympic qualifying time. Abdi will book his ticket to London if he wins the event at the Melbourne Track Classic in early March.

John Steffensen continued to impress after victory last week, going faster again in 45.61 to hold off 800m world record holder David Rudisha, Ben Offereins and fellow NSWIS athlete Kevin Moore and win the men’s 400m.

Other results from the event included Isaac Ntiamoah’s dead heat victory in the men’s 100m, with fellow NSWIS athlete Nick Hough taking bronze; Dani Samuels continuing her solid form in the women’s discus, finishing with silver behind Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton following a best throw of 60.98m; Fabrice Lapierre taking silver in the men’s long jump with a leap of 8.04m; Bridey Delaney winning silver in the women’s 1500m and Lachlan Renshaw securing bronze in the men’s 800m.