Aussie Results/News 2021

[El Toro]

Well, it's now a new year, at least for those countries living in the future like NZ and AUS.

Let's see if we can manage a more normal domestic season down under. Fingers crossed!

[Atticus]

Happy New Year!
Hopefully, with the vaccine, it'll be better by summer.

[Tuariki]

Well, it's now a new year, at least for those countries living in the future like NZ and AUS.

Let's see if we can manage a more normal domestic season down under. Fingers crossed!

The athletics season in New Zealand to date, and for the foreseeable future is completely normal - no restrictions on competing or crowd attendance. No masks, no social distancing necessary. Every covid-19 case in NZ over recent months has been of someone returning to NZ and detected while in their 14 day mandatory managed isolation in one of the hotels requisitioned by the government.

The only abnormal sadly is going to be the absence of foreign athletes who are unlikely to travel to New Zealand because they cannot afford to miss out on 14 days training while in quarantine. We have managed to allow approved sports teams to start training as a team in a secured facility after 3 days with a negative covid-19 test, but unfortunately this is just not possible for individual sports people such as TnF competitors.

So sadly, the NZ Masters Games starting 4 February 2021 will be missing the many foreign competitors we usually get.

[Vault-emort]

Story about Bendere Oboya and some other ex-African athletes now coached by John Quinn:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-02/from-africa-to-australia-athletes-running-for-their-lives/13021196

Oboya's former coach mentioned, but not named, in the story would be Greg Smith who had his coaching accreditation suspended by AA during an ASADA investigation into him.

[El Toro]

On last year's thread, I posed the following question that nobody appeared interested in.

So, the question I will ask as an (Australian) New Year's eve quiz is, which country, USA or AUS, has more IAAF 1 and IAAF 2 certified tracks.Separate answers for each category and bonus points for providing numbers.

Oh, and as per board standards, no looking things up!

I will post results tomorrow, so if anybody wants to submit a guess, you better hurry up.

[gm]

I would guess Class 1 is about equal.

Not many institutions here really care about Class 2 from what I know, so I would guess Australia would have a big edge there.

[El Toro]

Not many institutions here really care about Class 2 from what I know, ...

Thanks for the guess.

There's definitely a difference between building to Class 2 standard and getting certified.

In particular, I note that Mt SAC's beautiful new facility is described by them as "IAAF compliant" but is not in the list of certified venues. I don't know if they have submitted and COVID has delayed assessment or they just don't care about that.

I'll post some stats tomorrow.

[El Toro]

I would guess Class 1 is about equal.

Not many institutions here really care about Class 2 from what I know, so I would guess Australia would have a big edge there.

Well, given you were the only guess in the competition, I suppose you're the winner!

Your sense that IAAF certification is not at the forefront for USA facilities is true. Here are the stats according to the IAAF list of certified venues:

COUNTRY	Class 1	Class 2	Indoor	Total
AUSTRALIA	6	50		56
UNITED STATES	7	7	4	18
Total	13	57	4	74

There were two errors in the Australian list that I corrected when preparing the table, a duplicate Class 2 listing following resurfacing and the listed Class 1 track for the 2018 CWG that has torn up the day after the games finished. The USA facilities seemed to be OK.

I was really surprised with the number of tracks in Australia given how few there were 20 years ago and that I can remember the first artificial track in my home state. I only had to travel 1500km to run on it!

With regards the low USA numbers, I noticed while reading the WA facilities manual (yes, I was that bored) was that Class 1/2 certification required 2 bi-directional, parallel LJ/TJ runways outside the track and throwing fields inside the track.

These requirements would seem to rule out Mt SAC being certifiable on the basis that the 2 runways are inside the track, though otherwise compliant. I suppose it depends on how flexible WA are.

The same issues for runways and inside throws are likely to rule out a lot of other USA venues despite the tracks themselves being compliant.

I'll post some worldwide stats in a new thread.

[Vault-emort]

PERTH - 8 Jan
100 (0.9) Bresland 10.54
PV Marschall 5.80m (3 misses 5.85m) Armstrong 5.30m

100 (0.5) Cruttenden 11.69

No results showing for the W PV where Kennedy and Parnova were listed

ETA

PV Kennedy 4.75m (3 misses at 4.82m) Parnova 4.30m

[AS]

No results showing for the W PV where Kennedy and Parnova were listed

Trackinsun now has them: "PV 1 Nina Kennedy 4.75 (three faults in 4.82); 2 Elizaveta Parnov 4.30"

https://trackinsun.blogspot.com/2021/01/perth-australia-812021.html

[Vault-emort]

A few results from today - some meets still in progress

GEELONG - 9 Jan
100y H1 (1.9) Hale 9.90 H2 (1.6) Penny 9.82 Sesar 9.93 H3 (1.4) Bee 9.96 Johns 9.97 H4 (2.2) Rodrigues-Chico 9.78 Stevens 9.82 Hansford 9.95
F (2.0) Hale 9.43 Penny 9.54 Rodrigues-Chico 9.64 Stevens 9.80 Sesar 9.84 Hansford 9.91 Bee 9.92 Johns 9.94
200 (2.7) Romanin 20.88 Johns 20.92 Chico 21.04
400H Major 52.11
TJ Ore 16.09m (2.1) (& 15.62 +1.3), Hinson (b03) 15.70m (1.5)

100y H1 (1.8) Lane 10.83 Grandine 10.98, H2 (2.6) Mucci 10.79 H3 (1.1) Gross 11.07
F (1.1) Lane 10.59 Mucci 10.73 Gross 10.77
200 (0.5) Fighera 23.70 Loizou 24.02

Ebony Lane heading for a spot in the national relay squad and a WJ qualifier for Aiden Hinson in the triple. Dhruv Rodrigues-Chico is the Indian-born former soccer player who surprised in the 2019 Stawell Gift.

ILLAWONG - 9 Jan
60 (2.7) Holdsworth 6.69 Abu Ganaba 6.72 Clarke 6.76
100 (-1.1) Browning 10.23 Holdsworth 10.56
200 (0.2) Browning 20.77 Azzopardi 21.31 **

60 (1.5) Quirk 7.34 Adeniran 7.51 Power 7.57
200 (-0.5) Quirk 24.14..... Thornton 32.08 (injury?)

Very promising start to 2021 for Rohan Browning into at least one stiff breeze.

NEWCASTLE - 9 Jan
LJ Fairweather (b 02) 7.42w (2.5)

3000 Blundell 8-56.17x

** ETA - Browning's 200m was initially listed as NWI but David Tarbotton reports 0,2

[AS]

F (2.0) Hale 9.43 Penny 9.54 Rodrigues-Chico 9.64 Stevens 9.80 Sesar 9.84 Hansford 9.91 Bee 9.92 Johns 9.94


F (1.1) Lane 10.59 Mucci 10.73 Gross 10.77

National Best from Hale?

All-time list has Gary Eddy's 9.52 (-0.8) from 1966 as best electronic time, which is inferior to Bob Lay's 9.2h (+1.4) from 1965.

Lane's 10.59 only bettered by Hewitt's 100.50 and Burge's 10.58 (Breen also has a 10.59). Holden's 10.2h still superior.

[Vault-emort]

National Best from Hale?

Yes I guess it would be - hadn't even reflected on that.

Was thinking more like 'equivalent to 10.3e - ok run with the full wind behind him but doesn't compare to Browning's 10.23 into the breeze.'

More impressed by Lane really - her run probably worth 11.50 for 100m which is a full 0.3 better than her PB.

[El Toro]

100 (-1.1) Browning 10.23 Holdsworth 10.56

Worth 10.16 in still conditions and 10.06 +2.0, so basically he opened up with a probable PB (10.08 +2.0) equivalent run. Barring COVID interruptions, he should hit a sub-10 time this season.

Also, is Holdsworth any relation to Garry Holdsworth, sprinter from yesteryear?

[Vault-emort]

is Holdsworth any relation to Garry Holdsworth, sprinter from yesteryear?

Haven't heard anything though it's not like Gary is a household name that would get a shout out in the media. Not that it means too much, but Gary was a Victorian.