In Barcelona overnight, Sydney University Athletics Club (SUAC) member Nicholas Hough has breezed through his semi final of the 110m hurdles at the World Junior Championships with a time of 13.49 (-0.8), his second best time ever.
Hough, a Sydney University Elite Athlete Program (EAP) scholarship holder (B. IT & B. Law), now goes into tomorrow nights final as the 4th quickest qualifier.
The last week has also been extremely successfully for a host of SUAC athletes.
On Sunday, former City2Surf winner and EAP scholarship holder Lara Tamsett won the Sydney Harbour 10 – a 10k fun run held on the harbour foreshore. Tamsett (Bachelor of Media & Communications) continued her recent great form clocking a time just over 32 minutes, beating London bound Olympian (marathon) Jessica Trengrove in the process.
Fellow EAP scholarship holder Millly Jane Clark (B. Applied Science/M. Nutrition) finished 4th in the same event.
Tamsett will contest the NSW Short Course Championships this Saturday where she will be favourite for victory. She will also attempt to repeat her City2Surf victory come early August.
In the men’s race Russell Dessaix-Chin finished 3rd, clocking a time just over 30min. The placing for Chin was pleasing because it not only signaled a return to form over the 10km distance, but was after he had run the second fastest split of the day on the Saturday afternoon running in the NSW Road relay Championships for SUAC, held on the Central Coast at Ourimbah.
The SUAC team finished second to Randwick Botany Harriers in what will be remembered as one of the best races of the winter season. The SUAC team consisted of Daniel Macdonald, Russell Dessaix-Chin, and EAP scholarship holders Hugh Williams (Bachelor of Health Science) and James Nipperess (B Health Science – Physiotherapy); all four will contest the NSW Short Course Championships coming up this Saturday afternoon at Ryde.
In the Women’s NSW Road Relay Championships the girls picked up the bronze medal after finishing third behind UTS North’s and Athletics East. Milly Jane Clark ran the fastest split of the day of any women’s competitor, running her team into a medal placing. MIlly Clark, Ruby Hackett and Larissa Stanley will all compete this weekend for the NSW Short Course Championships at Ryde.
Heading back overseas, SUAC Club Captain Lachlan Renshaw ran a brave 4th in the Paris Diamond League. The race was the fastest in the world this year with Renshaw finishing in a time of 1.45.90 behind World Champion and World record David Rudisha.
Sadly for Renshaw, an EAP scholarship holder (B. Commerce) he missed the Olympic qualifying time by 0.30 sec, meaning he can’t compete in London. Interestingly, two of the competitors who finished behind him will be on the plane to London to represent their countries at the Olympic Games.
Renshaw will continue to compete in Europe over the next few weeks as the chance to run both a personal best and a qualifying time for next year’s World Championships in Moscow are real possibilities.
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