Purple patch Pollard primed for Adelaide Invitational

With a contagious energy and growing self-belief, New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder, Jemma Pollard, is fast becoming one of the nation’s premier 400m runners.

Relaxed yet determined ahead of the Adelaide Invitational, the 20-year-old is primed to continue her rise in the Beyond Bank Women’s 400m.

Pollard is currently in the purple patch that most athletes envy. Each race brings improvement, and with improvement comes confidence – ultimately unlocking more improvement.

For the Newcastle product, there is no doubt that her positivity outdates her success.

“I am doing it because I love it and I try to bring that into competitions, even though there is always going to be pressure,” Pollard says. “I’m trying to bring more joy into people’s lives and inspire them to do what they love. I want to show the things that ground me and make me better at the sport, and hopefully that brings other people positivity.”

In 51.73-seconds at the Perth Track Classic, Pollard confirmed her trajectory when dismantling a field of Australia’s best 400m women, smiling her way through one of the sport’s toughest events.

“I feel like there is more in there, but my main goal is to stay consistent. To consolidate myself as a 51-second runner in Adelaide would be awesome,” Pollard says.

“I wouldn’t say there is any more pressure than before. If anything, I feel more confident in my ability and it’s about trying to enjoy the moment when I am competing.”

A medallist on Australian 4x400m teams at the 2024 World Athletics Under 20 Championships and 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships, Pollard has used the relay to bridge the gap to the Open ranks – where she now looms as a national title contender.

“I love the relay because all of us girls get along and obviously have a similar interest. We are all united and support each other,” Pollard says.

“You can’t do it with just one person. In a relay team you need four amazing runners, so we are trying to spur each other on to be better so that we can be a great team.”

The Adelaide Invitational on March 14 presents another opportunity for Pollard to refine her craft in the Beyond Bank Women’s 400m, where she will once again face off against Ellie Beer (QLD, 51.30), Arie Aoki (JPN, 51.71) and Carla Bull (QLD, 52.29).

“It’s one of the toughest events out there, it’s always going to hurt! I find that I have to be very strategic with my limit of how fast I can go and how much I will die,” Pollard says.

“I have been doing a lot of speed work so that I can carry a faster speed through the first part of the 400m. It’s still short enough to pretty much sprint, so there’s not too much head noise and I like the challenge.”

The 2026 Adelaide Invitational will be hosted as part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, taking place at the SA Athletics Stadium from March 13-14.

Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics