Photo: Getty Images
Sydney University Athletics Club (SUAC) members Joshua Ralph and Catriona Bisset finished a historic second place in the 2x2x400 Relay representing Australia at the IAAF World Relay Championships held in Yokohama, Japan at the weekend.
The win was the best placing ever at a world relay championships by an Australian team and a national record. Bisset the reigning national champion ran with enormous maturity considering she was on international debut posting the fastest time of all the female competitors. Ralph ran a huge race challenging the USA’s Brazier and making a real contest of it.
Both athletes will head onto Europe for a series of international races leading into the world champs in Doha.
In other events Alex Beck was 7th in the Men’s 4×400. The top 8 finish will see the Australian team qualify for the world championships as well. In the mixed 4×400 Bec Bennett ran a brave race but her team was unable to progress to the final.
In the shuttle relay SUAC’s Nick Hough progressed to the final where a bronze medal was on offer for the Australian team. Unfortunately a false start meant the Australian team including Hough were disqualified.
In other SUAC athletics news Nicola McDermott has finished 8th in the Doha Diamond League meeting. It was the 2nd time McDermott has competed at Diamond League level and a valuable learning experience for a jumper on the rise.
Meanwhile domestically SUAC leads the Men’s and Women’s winter premiership after two rounds of competition. SUAC was dominant in both men’s and women’s events at the 2nd round of competition the Sydney 10.
Finally on Saturday night SUAC was awarded 2019 ‘Champion Club of the Year’ at the annual Athletics NSW Awards dinner. The award caps off a stellar year for the club, arguably the best in its history.
SUAC athletes will next compete at the NSW Cross Country Relays on May 25th at Miranda Park.
For IAAF World Relays photos, see SUACs facebook page