Sydney University athlete and Olympic Representative Lachlan Renshaw broke the Australian record for 600m, which has stood for 33 years, at a low key meet on the weekend.
Renshaw posted a time of 1.15.14 knocking 0.06 seconds of the old record held by John Higham.
The performance by Renshaw was made even more impressive by the fact that the conditions on Saturday were not ideal, with swirling winds making fast running difficult.
The race was arguably the most exciting of the season so far with Renshaw holding off a dogged Tristan Garrett, who challenged for the lead with 80m to go. Renshaw proved too strong over the final 30m which augers well for Lachlan’s bid for Commonwelth Games selection at 800m.’ said Head Coach, Dean Gleeson.
Former Sydney University Club Captain, Mark Abercromby, also finished 4th in a smart time highlighting the continued depth in the middle distance events for SUAC.
Renshaw will race next at the Melbourne leg of the World Athletics Tour in two weeks time.
He will face the fastest athlete in the world last year at 800m – David Rudisha from Kenya.
Rudisha is widely tipped to break the 800m World Record. He claimed on Saturday night that he will be looking to run 1.43 in Melbourne, and further to this – he appears to be in the shape to do so.
‘This will undoubtedly be the biggest race of Renshaw’s already impressive career. If he can run to his current form he has a real chance of breaking 1.45 for the 800m in Melbourne, a feat which no other Australian athlete has achieved since Peter Bourke in 1982,’ said Gleeson.
In other Sydney Uni Athletics Club news James Nipperess represented Australia for the first time in the U/21 Match versus New Zealand, in Auckland last weekend – posting an impressive win in the Mens 1500m.
Nipperess continues to improve and will be in the mix for the 1500m at the National Open Championships, in Western Australia in April.
