Three golds, a record and controversy: Australians dominate at pre-Olympics athletics meet
Australia’s athletics stars have completed the perfect lead-in to Paris 2024, with three athletes taking gold at the London Diamond League and the women’s 4x100m relay team putting on a record-breaking performance.
Mackenzie Little set a new personal best en route to gold in the javelin, Nina Kennedy won in the pole vault for the fifth consecutive time and Oli Hoare took gold in a controversial running of the Emsley Carr Mile.
Mackenzie Little celebrates her javelin gold.Credit: AP
Hoare ran a season’s best of 3:49.03 but there was drama at the start of the race. Three of Hoare’s competitors fell down within the first 30 metres of the race.
England’s George Mills, one of the runners who fell, did not hold back in his comments after the race.
Oli Hoare celebrates his victory.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s absolutely f---ing ridiculous,” he said. “It was outrageous. We fell down inside 30 metres. Me and Neil [Gourley].
“Literally just before we even turned, there was a fall in front of us and we both tripped over.
“I have experienced that before, but I don’t know how they didn’t restart it.
“Well, three people go down inside 30 metres, what’s the point? It’s a joke.”
The fall did not deter the Australian contingent of four. Stewart McSweyn led the field throughout the race, until Hoare took off with 250m to overtake his compatriot. McSweyn crossed the line in fifth (3:49.59), while teenager Cameron Myers finished sixth in 3:50.16. Adam Spencer closed out the field in 3:55.49.
Little, a registrar at Royal North Shore Hospital, had earlier kicked things off for the Australians at the meet with a javelin throw of 66.27m on her first attempt.
Nina Kennedy won for the fifth straight time.Credit: AP
“I’ve felt really fulfilled working this year, so I think holistically I’ve been in a good mental space, despite it being busy and tiring sometimes,” Little said.
Despite delivering the world’s second-largest throw of the year, and winning by 0.69m ahead of Adriana Vilagos’ Serbian record of 65.58, Little won’t be relying on her history of success when competing at the pinnacle meet.
“I now need to keep everything in check and use the nerves and expectations as fuel for some explosive technical throws in Paris.”
The women’s 4x100m relay team ran their third Oceania record of the year in a time of 42.48. Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Kristie Edwards and Torrie Lewis finished fourth.
“It felt great out there today. The conditions were great, there’s an amazing crowd of 60,000 out here, so it’s definitely a great confidence boost pre-Paris,” Masters said.
“We’ve got so much depth in our squad and we’re so interchangeable and adaptable in any leg. We’ve proven that by breaking the record with changing team members.”
Among a world-class field that included an Olympic champion and World Indoor champion, only Canadian Alysha Newman and Kennedy could clear 4.75m in the women’s pole vault. While both women were unable to clear 4.85m on their first attempt, Kennedy locked in first place on her second jump, while Newman failed all three attempts.
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