WHEN Australian 1500-metre record-holder Ryan Gregson was asked who was the country’s next big thing in middle distance running, he had no hesitation.
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“One guy who’s got a huge upside is Stewart McSweyn,” Gregson told runnerstribe.com.
“Hopefully, it will happen this year but if not, it will happen next year, but he’s going to run some seriously fast times sooner or later. The boy from King Island, just off Tasmania, he’s going to be pretty scary to watch when he gets a couple more years training under his belt and maybe even a couple more muscles on his legs.”
On Tuesday night in the Swedish municipality of Sollentuna, McSweyn took another giant stride towards fulfilling Gregson’s prediction and possibly a Rio Olympic berth.
Less than a month after turning 21, McSweyn bettered his own Tasmanian record in the 3000m steeplechase by clocking 8:34.45.
The time is just five seconds outside an Olympic qualifier and the Melbourne-based runner has one more opportunity to go faster at the British Milers Club meeting in Solihull, England, next week.
Having watched McSweyn improve his personal best by more than a minute, and take 16 seconds off the Tasmanian record in the process, his coach, Nic Bideau, believes he is a future Australian champion.
“He’s definitely a strong chance to make Rio,” Bideau said.
“He just keeps getting better. At the start of the year he ran 8.50, then 8.49 at the national champs, then went to America and did 8.40. Last week he did 8.39 and now he’s done 8.34 so if he can do that again he’ll be in.”
Introduced to Bideau by two-time Olympian Collis Birmingham, McSweyn swiftly improved his hurdling, especially his approach to the water jump.
“Just that took about 10 seconds off his time and he can now hurdle with both legs,” Bideau said. “He is fitter and stronger and training a lot more like a proper athlete.
“A few of the guys encouraged him to come down to my training and as soon as I saw him I thought he could be a world-class athlete.
“Now he’s this close I just want to see him get over the line. He will be the future Australian record-holder and in national teams for the next 10 years because he does not have many challengers in this event.”
Bideau is confident McSweyn will claim the Australian steeplechase record of 8.16.22 set by Shaun Creighton in 1993.
McSweyn’s fellow Tasmanian track and field hopeful Jack Hale will run in the Polish junior championships this weekend seeking to record an Olympic 100m qualifying time.
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
