Tasmanian athletes had a busy and wet night at the Zatopek 10 in Melbourne on Thursday.
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At a rain-swept Lakeside Stadium, Launceston’s Josh Harris and Victorian-based King Islander Stewart McSweyn joined a strong field in the feature event for the Australian 10,000m championship.
McSweyn, who narrowly missed qualifying for the Rio Olympic steeplechase earlier this year, took second place behind Queensland’s bearded Olympian Patrick Tiernan (27.59.74).
Former Athletics Tasmania president Brian Roe said the state’s emerging distance runner continues to impress.
McSweyn clocked 28.29.65 while ninth-placed Harris recorded his first sub-30-minute time of 29.42.97 with Roe tweeting: “Tassie boys on fire at Zatopek.”
McSweyn's debut 10,000m slots him in at number two on the Tasmanian all-time list behind only Dave Chettle while Harris moves up to 11th.
Hobart duo Raphaela Corney (3.00m) and Matt Hosie(4.40m) both finished joint fourth in their pole vault competitions while Brandon Clark came fifth in the long jump with 6.79m.
Former Launceston runner Abbey de la Motte was in the Doncaster Athletic Club team that finished second, four seconds behind Sandringham, in the women’s 4x400m relay. De la Motte ran the anchor leg as her team clocked 3:51.04.
Similarly, London Olympian Tristan Thomas was in the Old Melburnians team (3:14.97) that also finished second in the men’s event, a second behind St Kevin’s AC.
Meanwhile Joel Bee and Will Johns warmed up for Tasmanian Carnivals campaigns by making the quinella in the men’s 100 yards.
New Zealander Camille Buscomb won the women’s 10,000m from Bridey Delaney, of NSW.
In deep end
Former Launceston swimmer Ariarne Titmus has made a world championships final.
The Queensland-based former St Patrick’s College student qualified for the final of the 800-metre freestyle at the 13th FINA world championships (25m) in Windsor, Canada.
Titmus finished fourth in her heat and qualified eighth fastest after beating her previous personal best by four seconds in a time of 8.25.85.
Australian teammate Kiah Melverton also reached the final, qualifying third fastest.