Sparkling forecast for National Athletics Championships – Michael ‘Pez’ Perry

New South Wales Institute of Sport’s Michael ‘Pez’ Perry, the State Performance Advisor, Athletics, runs his thumb over the Institute’s athletes competing in the Australian Athletics Championships being held at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre from April 9-12. 

With the nation’s biggest names competing, and berths on the team that will represent the country at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Perry – a former Australian Triple Jump champion – explained why Sydney’s most spectacular fireworks are set to be ignited on the Athletic Centre’s Track and Field. 

NSWIS: There’s plenty to be excited about with the National Athletic Championships being held at Sydney Olympic Park’s Athletic Centre over the next four days – what are you expecting overall from the NSWIS athletes? 

Michael Perry (MP): With Commonwealth Games Team selection and World Under 20 Athletics Championships on the line, it’s a great opportunity for them to go out and make the Commonwealth Games team and, for the odd athlete, they’ll have the chance to qualify for both events. With the great weather that’s been forecast over the next four days, I think it’s going to be an excellent Championships, and I think the Athletic Centre’s newly laid track surface will hopefully help provide good results. Overall, I think each NSWIS athlete is in a good position to do well. 

NSWIS: Pez, you competed in Triple Jump at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, will trying to qualify for Glasgow add to the pressure some athletes will feel as they go into this event? How do they overcome any nerves to ensure they perform to the best of their ability? 

MP: This will be a great test for these athletes and being able to perform when it counts will be a crucial part of their success in making any team and then going on to performance at a benchmark event. 

NSWIS: Besides the global athletes who are NSWIS scholarship holders – Jessica Hull, Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson, Mackenzie Little – who should people keep an eye on? 

MP: Based on some of the performances this year, there’s the likes of Jemma Pollard in the women’s 400m, while Josh Azzopardi (100 & 200m) has been very well measured in the way he’s gone about his year and is in very good shape. In terms of the global athletes, Nicola Olyslagers is doing well . . . she’s excelling on the world stage  . . . while it will be interesting to see Jess Hull, the Paris Olympics silver medallist, take on the Women’s 800m for the first time this year on top of the 1500m and 5000m. Winning all three events would be a feat that has never before been achieved at an Australian Open Championships. That would be something to see, as will watching the likes of Luke Boyes and Daniel Williams race in the Men’s 800m and take on Tokyo Olympic Games finalist in Peter Bol. The fact Olli Hoare has returned from America to compete in the Men’s 1500m is also huge for athletics fans.   

NSWIS: One of the Institute’s young athletes and an emerging star of Australian Athletics, Delta Amidzovski – she’s the World Under 20 long jump champions, and World Under 20 bronze medallist for the hurdles – has a big decision to make about which of those events she’ll compete in . . . 

MP: I’m not 100 percent sure about which event Delta will do because the women’s hurdles and long jump virtually go back-to-back. We had hoped for a greater split between the two events this year, allowing for a greater break between events. She’ll virtually do the heats of the hurdles, walk off the track, do the long jump, walk off the track and do the hurdles final.  Delta is in a really good position to be selected to compete in the long jump, but we’ll wait and see if she takes on both events.  

NSWIS: And our Para athletes? 

MP: Paralympian Mali Lovell is having a great year; Rheed McCracken is always exciting, while Telaya Blacksmith (pictured) has a huge program – she’ll take on the 100m, 200m, 400m and Long Jump. Outside of those three great athletes, we have Rhiannon Clarke from WA competing and Chad Peris in the ambulant 100m, who have both been in great form this season. World and Paralympic Long Jump Champion Vanessa Low is taking on a new event in the 400m wheelchair event. There are several Para events at the Commonwealth Games, so there’s plenty for the athletes to strive for at these Championships.  

NSWIS: What about the non-NSWIS athletes? What’s caught your eyes? 

MP: The 200m clash between Queenslanders Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy, take three, or is it four?  This is a huge drawcard and will be spectacular to witness. Having Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy competing is very special, and it’s also exciting to have men’s pole vaulter Kurtis Marshall appearing here because he’s already broken the six metre mark this year. Claudia Hollingsworth’s progression in the 800m and 1500m events – she defeated Great Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist, Georgia Hunter Bell to win at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne last week – will add plenty of interest to that race. 

NSWIS Athletes in action at the Australian Championships

Day 1: Thursday 9 April 

Time  Athlete  Event  

13.00 Jess Hull  Women’s 1500m (Heat) 

13.30 Olli Hoare  Men’s 1500m (Heat) 

14.30 Desleigh Owusu   Women’s Triple Jump (Qualification) 

17.00  Mackenzie Little Women’s Javelin throw (Qualification) 

Lianne Davidson  Women’s Javelin throw (Qualification) 

18.20 Telaya Blacksmith  Women’s PA 400m (Final) 

Day 2: Friday 10 April 

13.30  Delta Amidzovski  Women’s Long Jump (Qualification) 

14.30  Cameron McEntyre Men’s Javelin Throw (Qualification) 

17.00  Aiden Princena-White Men’sPole Vault (Qualification) 

17.20:   Aimee Fisher  Women’s PA 100m Wheelchair (Final) 

17.30  Rheed McCracken   Men’s PA 100m Wheelchair (Final) 

17.45   Luke Van Ratingen   Men’s 400m (Heat) 

18.05  Jemma Pollard  Women’s 400m (Heat)  

19.00  Telaya Blacksmith  Women PA Long Jump (Final) 

19.10 Women’s Triple Jump Final  (Desleigh Owusu)  

19.15  Rohan Browning Men’s 100m (Heat) 

   Josh Azzopardi Men’s 100m (Heat) 

 Connor Bond Men’s 100m (Heat) 

 Chris Ius  Men’s 100m (Heat) 

19.40   Kristie Edwards  Women’s 100m (Heat) 

20.15   Women’s 1500m Final (Jess Hull) 

20.25  Men’s 1500m Final (Olli Hoare) 

20.35  Women’s 400m Wheelchair Final (Aimee Fisher) 

20.42:   Men’s 400m Wheelchair Final (Rheed McCracken) 

Day 3: Saturday 11 April 

12.00   Alex  Kolesnikoff  Men’s Shot Put (Qualification) 

16.25:  Mali Lovell PA 100m (Heat) 

Telaya Blacksmith  PA 100m (Heat) 

17.25:  Women’s 200m Wheelchair 200m Final (Aimee Fisher) 

18.10:  Sarah Carli  Women’s 400m Hurdles (Heat) 

18.40 Brandon Starc  Men’s High Jump (Final) 

18.45  Women’s PA 100m Final (Mali Lovell, Telaya Blacksmith) 

19.05  Women’s 100m Semi Final  (Kristie Edwards) 

19.20  Men’s 100m Semi Final (Browning, Azzopardi, Bond, Ius) 

19.35  Jess Hull  (Women’s 800m Heat) 

19.45: Women’s Javelin Throw Final (Mackenzie Little, Lianna Davidson) 

19.47:  Daniel Williams, Luke Boyes (Men’s 800m Heat) 

20.00 Women’s 400m Final (Jemma Pollard) 

20.07 Men’s 400m Final (Luke Van Ratingen) 

20.30 Women’s 100m Final (Kristie Edwards) 

20.37 Men’s 100m Final (Browning, Azzopardi, Bond, Ius) 

Day 4: Sunday 12 April

9.50 Women’s 200m Heat

9.50                   Mali Lovell                    Women’s PA 200m (Heat)

10.35:                Delta Amidzovski      Women’s 100m Hurdles (Heat)

                          Celeste Mucci            Women’s 100m Hurdles (Heat)

10.50:                Delta Amidzovski      Women’s Long Jump Final

11.00:                Mitch Lightfoot          Men’s 110m Hurdles (Heat)

11.20:                Kristie Edwards         Women’s 200m Heat

                           Lakara Stallan            Women’s 200m Heat

11.30:                Aiden Princena-White Men’s Pole Vault Final

11.35:                Chris Ius                        Men’s 200m Heat

12.15:                Nicola Olyslagers     Women’s High Jump Final

                          Eleanor Patterson    Women’s High Jump Final

                          Emily Whelan             Women’s High Jump Final

                          Isobelle Louison-Roe Women’s High Jump Final

12.20:                Women’s PA 200m Final (Mali Lovell, Telaya Blacksmith)

12.30:                Men’s Shot Put Final  (Alex Kolesnikoff)

12.30:                Men’s Javelin Throw Final      (Cameron McEntyre)

12.37:                Men’s 110m Hurdles Final (Mitch Lightfoot)

12.47:                Women’s 100m Hurdles Final (Delta Amidzovski)

12.55:                Women’s 800m Final (Jess Hull)

13.03:                Men’s 800m Final (Luke Boyes, Daniel Williams)

13.13:                Women’s 400m Hurdle (Sarah Carli)

13.30:                Women’s 5000m Hurdles (Jessica Hull, Rose Davies)

13.48:                Women’s 200m Final (Kristie Edwards, Lakara Stallan)

13.55:                Men’s 200m Final (Chris Ius)

Full entry lists are available HERE, and tickets can be purchased HERE

The Australian Athletics Championships are live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport

Daniel Lane, NSWIS