The Sydney Track Classic has a historical one of the best meetings in Oceania. Several World Records, World and Olympic Champions have graced the Sydney Track Classic. This year’s editions will be without international stars; it is the young and up and coming Australian athletes who will headline the edition.
The Men’s and Women’s Pole Vault is on the program for the first time this season at an Australian Meet, with Kurtis Marschall and Nina Kennedy, having already jumped over the Olympic Qualifying be looking for a win. It will be their respective training partners hoping to join them with Lauren Hyde-Cooling, Liz Parnova and Angus Armstrong, all on the cusp of making the Olympics; the points here are essential.
Damien Birkenhead returned to good form in Canberra at the Summer Super Series Event and will continue against Harvard student and Sydney Local Alex Kolesnikov. At only 24 years of age, Alex Hulley is considered one of the more senior athletes in the field for the Sydney TC Women’s Hammer Throw, but she is young in terms of Hammer Throwers. She will be hoping for a strong performance to continue to hold her place in the top 32 for Tokyo.
The Women’s 300m was put on the program at the request of the 400m Women. Rubie-Renshaw and Oboya go head to head with jess Thornton; it should be a great race.
Dani Stevens takes to the circle in the Women’s Discus Throw. She has had an injury-interrupted the past 12 months, but the 2009 World Champion will be looking towards CHECK NUMBER OF OLYMPICS. Mitch Cooper leads the Men’s Field in the Discus.
Liz Clay will line up in the 100m Hurdles in her hometown as the favourite, but with the depth in the Women’s short hurdles at a record high, it could be closer than what people think. Hough and Andrews will resume their head-to-head for the third time in a week, and if the previous editions have been anything to go by, this should be a great race.
Riley Day, Maddie Coates leads the Women’s 200m Field, but the depth with Monique Quirk, Larissa Pasternatsky and Kristie Edwards should mean that they will need to be on the top of their game to win. Multiple National Champion and 2016 Olympian Alex Hartmann lead the Men’s 200m.
A field of 10 toes the line in the Women’s 800m. Georgia Wassal, a World U20 Medalists, will be looking to regain that form that saw her win silver in Eugene, but with Brittany Kaan, Keely Small, and Linden Hall in the field as well, it should be a great race. The Men’s 800m sees a repeat of Canberra, with the area so close, it always makes for great racing.
Two Australian Championships are on the line, with the Men’s and Women’s 5000m. With Jess Hull and Stewert McSweyn not racing, wide open races should be great to watch. The Women’s race will be interesting. Izzy Batt-Doyle came so close to the Olympic Standard 10 days ago, in a race where Rose Davies, the national 10,000m Champion, pulled out. Andrea Seccafien of Canada, Gen Gregson, Paige Campbell, Jenny Blundell, Lauren Ryan will all be in the mix and could see the race come down to a sprint finish.
The Men’s race is just full of possibilities. Twelve months ago, Brett Robinson thought it was the Marathon at the Tokyo Olympics, with a sub 60 minute Half Marathon to his name. Still, in the early part of 2021, he has won the Zatopek 10,000m and an incredible 5000m under his belt. The 2016 Olympic finalist will be hoping to win another National Title. 1500m Men Matt Ramsden and Ryan Gregson may give him the most trouble, significantly if the race slows, whilst Jack Bruce and Cameron Griffith, who both carved their names in the American College System, will be looking for a big breakthrough race in Australia.
