The past week has been one to remember for VIS 1500m runner Ryan Gregson with the Australian champion confirming his selection for the Rio Olympics by obtaining the qualifying mark in Nijmegen (NED) on 19 May with a win in 3:35.78.
Gregson had not planned to compete in the 1500m in Nijmegen and was initially down to find some speed across the 800m distance but following the advice of his coach Nic Bideau the plan changed.
“The conditions were really good so we thought it would be a good chance to run fast. Nic told me the morning of the event that I should switch events and it paid off,” Gregson said.
Gregson backed up this run three days later in Rabat, Morocco for Round 3 of the IAAF Diamond League meeting, placing third in 3:34.43. The result in Rabat is his third fastest ever and his fastest time in four years. Gregson will now look to compete at Diamond League meetings in Rome and Birmingham on 2 and 5 June respectively.
Similarly, Genevieve LaCaze competed in Nijmegen and Rabat over 800m and 3000m steeplechase, achieving life time bests in both outings. In Nijmegen, across the unfamiliar 800m distance LaCaze crossed the line in second place with 2:04.65. Improving on her Australian domestic steeplechase form, LaCaze cut seconds off her personal best to finish fourth with a performance of 9:32.67 in Rabat.
Brett Robinson competed alongside Gregson in Nijmegen, running 3:40.73 for eighth in the men’s 1500m. Next up for Robinson was a 5000m at the Hengelo IAAF World Challenge (NED) where he placed 12th in a time of 13:19.29 which is his second fastest ever.
“Not terrible but not great over the last three laps. Happy that I think 13.19 is now a bad run” Robinson said.
At the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing (CHN) on 18 May Rio-bound Kathryn Mitchell reigned supreme in the women’s javelin with a best mark of 64.37m. Mitchell then travelled to Rabat where she finished third with 60.68m.
On the road back from injury Zoe Buckman ran 2:06.82 for seventh place over the 800m in Nijmegen and in Rabat she clocked 4:12.73 to cross 10th in the women’s 1500m.
