Sam Clifford's serious tilt for another national title almost appears to have dissipated.
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The optimistic shelving of the Australian Cross Country Championships in Adelaide was announced on Friday.
But with the October 3-4 date already a measured run into summer for a nearing athletics campaign, Clifford is opting instead to prepare for a track meet on August 30.
"They may as well cancel it in a way that they still reckon they're going to try and get an event going, but there is no reason now," Clifford said.
"They pushed it back further so any more they push it back, it will become a summer cross-country, so really they may as well get rid of it."
First the South Australian government, then Athletics Australia will have the final word that could restrict the number of runners attending regardless with its borders locked down to some states.
Victorian athletes would automatically be scratched while those from Sydney are in serious doubt to travel.
"I really have no idea what I am going to do, but as an athlete I am just waiting if it happens," Clifford said. "If it doesn't, it doesn't affect me really too much all because I have had a pretty good competition here in Tasmania."
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
Clifford proposed a "small states" championships not to be recognised as nationals for parts of Australia that are privy to a newly-created travel hub, including Tasmania.
But a "virtual" cross country titles should be ruled out.
The Burnie Ten plans to go virtual, but the nature of cross country is about the subtleties of different courses.
"The courses make cross country what it is and if we did it virtually, it would not be the same," Clifford said.
But the cancellation of the nationals could dent his 2021 world cross country title ambitions should it go ahead.
"To see where I am ranked in Australia at junior level, it would have been ideal with some form of racing prior to the trials in the championship race itself. But it doesn't phase me too much," he said.
Clifford is next focusing on breaking Victorian Matt Ramsden's under-20 2000m national record of 5.09.40.
"The training I am going through is definitely evolving and transferring each week and I will start to feel myself trying to build into it, so to get to a point of peak fitness for a national record," he said.
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
