Latest Aussie updates for the IAAF World Indoor Championships
Fabrice Lapierre wins silver in the men’s long jump with 8.25
Brett Robinson finishes 11th overall with 8.11.11 in the 3000m final
A gutsy front-running performance by Melissa Duncan (Vic) has delivered her 6th place in the women’s 1500m final at the IAAF World Championships.
Taking the race on from the outset, Duncan fought her way to the front to lead the athletes for much of the first kilometre before being consumed by the chase pack to cross in a time of 4:09.69, as Sifan Hassan (NED, 4:04.96) won gold.
Duncan’s start in the final was history making, with the 26-year-old becoming the first Australian woman to achieve the feat in the 1500m at the IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Her next challenge is to win the national championship in two weeks’ time to ensure her automatic nomination for selection to the Australian Olympic Team.
“Indoors is so different, it’s very pushy, you can see where you want to go but you have to get there. I had a feeling that that would continue, so I decided to keep it rolling, get out in front, and test how I could back up from a heat run the day earlier. I wanted to make sure that I can recover well and test out the rest of the field,” Duncan said.
“That start list was really strong so I wanted to control the race as well as I could. This is as good a result. The way that I ran was the best way for me to make sure that I could finish where I did, I’m very happy.
“The Australian championships will be last race for a while. Hopefully I can come away with the win and do all I can to ensure my spot on the plane to Rio. If all goes well it will be great to lock way the nomination and then focus on preparing.”
Competition at the IAAF World Indoor Championships continues tomorrow, with competition times for Australian athletes as follows:
20.03.2016, 1:05pm
21.03.2016, 7:05am
Long Jump
Fabrice Lapierre
20.03.2016, 1:10pm
21.03.2016, 7:10am
3000m (final)
Brett Robinson
Melissa Duncan finishes 6th overall in the women’s 1500m final with 4:09.69
Brooke Stratton finishes 5th overall in the women’s long jump with 6.75
Michelle Jenneke finished 4th in her heat with a PB of 8.10 but did not qualify for the final in the women’s 60 metres hurdles.
Australia’s Lissy Duncan qualified for the final in the women’s 1500m.
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Brett Robinson qualified for the final in the men’s 3,000m with 7:53.51.
Finals Start List for the men’s 3,000m-
Collis Birmingham ran a seasons best 7:54.51 but just missed out on the final in the men’s 3000m.
Meanwhile in the pole vault Australia’s Alana Boyd hurt her ankle during warmups and was taken to a local hospital for X-Rays. Preliminary tests indicated she had a sprained left ankle.
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