by Larry Eder
PEARSON 11.16 AND 22.97 PB
CANBERRA (AUS, Feb 7): Olympic champion Sally Pearson has won her highly anticipated Australian Athletics Tour showdown at the AIS Athletics Track with rival sprinter Melissa Breen at the Canberra Track Classic and in the process recorded qualifying times for the 2015 IAAF World Championships in both the 100m and 200m, as well as a new personal best in the latter. In the 100 m Pearson got 11.16 (+1.8, second fastest of the career) over Breen 11.27. In the 200 m Pearson 22.97 (+0.8) PB followed by Ella Nelson 23.33 and Breen 23.47. “Obviously (I’m) happy (with a) PB and second fastest time ever in the 100m,” said Pearson. “I’m not satisfied with the time I ran [in the 200m] because I felt I could go a lot faster. I think we’ll see some really fast times this year. Kelsey-Lee Roberts thrilled her home crowd when she won the women’s javelin competition and also recorded a World Championship qualifier. Roberts threw 63.78m in the second round and held off Kathryn Mitchell by just 8cm. Mitchell also broke the World Championship qualification mark of 61.00m with her final round throw of 63.70m but fell just short of the win. The men’s 800m was won by Australian record holder Alex Rowe in yet another World Championship qualifying mark 1:45.38. Lauren Wells in 400 m hurdles 56.21, just 0.01 behind the World Champs qualifier. In the women’s 100m hurdles, Michelle Jenneke moved into fifth place on the Australian all-time list by clocking a new personal best time of 13.04 (+0.8). Brooke Stratton leapt 664 (0.0) to narrowly win the women’s long jump from Chelsea Jaensch who jumped 663. Alex Hartmann ran a huge personal best time of 20.59 (+1.8) to win the men’s 200 m. Nicholas Hough clocked a time of 13.68 (+0.1) to take out the men’s 110 m hurdles. Junior talent Matthew Denny recorded a PB of 68.44m to win the men’s hammer throw. In the men 400 m Craig Burns won in 46.03 over Alex Beck 46.09.
(Editor’s note: Sally Pearson is starting her build for 2015 Beijing. The road to Beijing, for the 100 meter hurdles, one of the most competitive events in our sport, has begun.)
