Following the conclusion of the Australian Championships last weekend, seven VIS track and field athletes have been selected on to the 2016 Australian Olympic Team for the Rio Games.
Australian long jump record holder Brooke Stratton confirmed her spot on the Australian team for the Rio with victory in Sydney, producing an leap of 6.68m, enough to claim the national title.
Undefeated in the one-lap race so far in 2016, Morgan Mitchell took the gold medal in the women’s 400m. Mitchell was strong out of the blocks and was challenged throughout the race by the 17-year-old Jessica Thornton(NSW, second, 52.33, PB), before putting her foot down to take line honours in 51.84.
World T35 100m, 200m champion Isis Holt topped off another successful national championship on the final day of competition in Sydney, in a world record time of 28.30sec Holt won the national para-athlete 200m title and finished the weekend by being awarded the 2015 Female Para athlete of the Year at the Athletics Australia Gala Awards Dinner.
Other highlights include;
- Genevieve LaCaze clocked 15:43.83 to take line honours in the women’s 5000m final and finished second in the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9:49.41.
- Ryan Gregson took line honours to win the men’s 1500m gold medal in a time of 3:37.76.
- Brydee Moore won gold in the F33 Women’s Shot Put Secured with a throw of 5.15m.
- Russell Short won the F12 Men Shot Put Ambulant with a throw of 13.69m .
- Joel Baden picked up the silver medal in the Men’s Open High Jump (2.17m).
- Richard Colman finished in second place in the Men’s T53 1500 Metre Wheelchair race in a time of 3:26.64.
- Para-Athlete Todd Hodgetts finished in second place in the men’s Shot Put Open with a heave of 15.92m
Congratulations to the seven VIS track and field athletes selected among 28 names to represent Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games;
Damien Birkinhead – Shot Put
Melissa Duncan – 1500m
Kathryn Mitchell – Javelin
Morgan Mitchell – 400m
Brooke Stratton – Long Jump
Brett Robinson – 5000m
Genevieve LaCaze – 3000mSteeplechase
