RYAN'S EXPRESS DELIVERS AUSTRALIAN RECORD IN 1500M
July 25: Australia has ushered in a genuine Commonwealth Games medal hopeful in the glamour 1500m after Wollongong's Ryan Gregson shattered the Australian 1500m record in the Round 10 Diamond League in Monaco (MON) over the weekend, clocking a superb 3:31.06 to place fifth in a field boasting some of the event's biggest names.
Gregson's time eclipses Queenslander Simon Doyle's previous National benchmark of 3:31.96, set in Stockholm (SWE) in 1991, by almost a full second and demolishes the New South Welshman's previous career-low mark of 3:35.42, set at the Sydney Track Classic in February this year.
The blistering run sees Gregson rocket from No. 9 to No.1 on the Australian all-time list and become the concurrent holder of the Under 18 (3:43.84, 2007), Under 20 (3:37.24, 2009) and senior Australian 1500m records.
Gregson, 20, was barely starting to walk, let along run, when Doyle set the previous National mark in July 1991 in Sweden.
But his stunning time in a world class field certainly puts the youngster in world class and alongside his NSWIS team mates Dani Samuels and Fabrice Lapierre and Olympic silver medallist Sally Pearson (nee McLellan) as real Games hopes not just for Delhi but for London in 2012.
The NSWIS athlete has also surged past Australia's best - names like Graham Crouch, Craig Mottram and Mike Hillardt in a milestone performance in the youngster's career.
AUSTRALIAN ALL-TIME TOP TEN
1,500 METRES
3.31.06 Ryan Gregson (NSW) Monaco, 23 July 2010
3.31.96 Simon Doyle (QLD) Stockholm,Sweden 3 Jul 91
3.32.93 Jeff Riseley (VIC) Rome,Italy 10 Jul 09
3.33.39 Mike Hillardt (QLD) Berlin,Germany 23 Aug 85
3.33.68 Mark Fountain (VIC) Rieti,Italy 28 Aug 05
3.33.97 Craig Mottram (VIC) Zurich,Switzerland 18 Aug 06
3.34.22 Graham Crouch (VIC) Christchurch,NZL 2 Feb 74
3.34.39 Jeremy Roff (NSW) Berlin,Germany 14 Jun 09
3.34.61 Pat Scammell (VIC) Melbourne 17 Mar 88
3.35.6 Herb Elliott (WA) Rome,Italy 6 Sep 60
The new national record-holder was joined in Monaco overnight by fellow Commonwealth Games nominees Lapierre, who placed second in the long jump, and Pearson third in the 100m hurdles.
On his European season debut over his premier distance, Gregson lined up against the three fastest metric milers of 2010 in Nicolas Kiptanui Kemboi (KEN), Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (KEN) and Augustine Kiprono Choge (KEN), as well as two-time world champion Bernard Lagat of the USA.
Despite running into traffic with 150m to go and losing some momentum, Gregson ran home strong to better the 19-year-old Australian record by 0.90 seconds.
"Simon Doyle had it at 3:31.96 and when he was doing those times he was one of the best in the world," Gregson told Athletics Australia.
"Last year I was staying in a house in London with Jeff Riseley and he came back from Rome having run a 3:32.9 and I thought, 'I wish I could run like you.' Twelve months of hard work and I'm there.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet. When you run your PB's you don't feel it. Tonight didn't feel that hard, that's what's good about the fast times."
Sitting in 10th place for much of the race, 20-year-old Gregson stormed home at break-neck speed to record the new national mark.
"I got out pretty well with a great spot on the rail. My advisor and manager Nic Bideau said to get out hard early and if you see a gap, move up and don't let any gaps open up," he said.
With one lap to go it was obvious that something special was on the cards as the reigning national 1500m champion moved past Lagat into eighth place.
"That was the only time I looked at the clock and I thought, 'sheez'. Before the race I was looking for a 2:38 at the bell to then put in a 56-second last lap for a 3:34. When I ran past (the bell) and it was 2:34 I thought, 'if I run 56 seconds for the last lap I'll run 3:30."
Silas Kiplagat (KEN) took out the race in a world leading time of 3:29.27, with Amine Laalou (MAR) running a personal best 3:29.53 for second. The best of the favoured runners was Choge with a time of 3:30.22 to finish third, Lagat placing seventh in a time of 3:32.51.
In the field, two-time national and reigning world indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre leapt 8.18m on his sixth and final trip down the runway to place second in the men's long jump behind three-time world champion and 2004 Olympic champion Dwight Phillips' (USA) world leading jump of 8.46m.
Lapierre, coming off a personal best leap of 8.40m last week in Nuoro, Italy, languished well down the field for the first half of the competition after jumps of 7.23m, a foul and 7.61m left him in seventh place. A leap of 7.84m in the fourth round showed improved rhythm but no improvement on his placing. Lapierre then he hit 7.98m in the penultimate round to move into fifth before closing out the competition with 8.18m.
With two rounds to go in the men's long jump series, Lapierre sits in second place on the Diamond Race ladder with 11 points to his name, just one point behind Phillips.
In other action in Monaco overnight Sally Pearson made a successful return to the European circuit, placing third in the women's 100m hurdles, one of several non-Diamond League events on the program, in a season's best time of 12.76 (w:0.0).
Pearson, who posted two successive national records at the Monaco meet in 2008 (12.53) and 2009 (12.50), shot out of the blocks but faded slightly towards the finish line as Lolo Jones (USA) took out the event in 12.63 with fellow American Danielle Carruthers second in 12.68.
"I am so relieved that's out of the way, I was determined to show them I am still fit and still around," Pearson said.
With gold at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi (IND) this October her main goal, Pearson is taking her return to the track carefully.
"They (Commonwealth Games) are in three months. It's a long way to go and I don't want to get injured," she said.
The 14-meet Diamond League tour now moves to Stockholm (SWE) for Round 11 of the series on Friday, August 6.
ANOTHER BAUMANN POOLS HIS TALENT
You tend to take a second look when you read the name Baumann in a swimming story and ask the question, any relation to the great Alex Baumann?
And when the story comes out of Canada then there is every chance.
Sure enough, Ashton Baumann from Ottawa is the son of the Canadian swimming legend and he earned his first National title at the Canadian Age Group Swimming Championships with a victory in a personal best time in the men's 17-18 age group 100 breaststroke.
Young Baumann clocked 1:03.47 seconds in the final bettering his previous best by more than two seconds overall for the day.
‘'My training is going really well and I was certainly hoping to go a best time tonight,'' said Baumann. ‘'I kept the focus on technique. It's been a great year for me so far and I've really improved under new coach (Derrick Schoof of Gloucester-Ottawa).''
Alex Baumann, the only world record breaker from the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and dual Olympic champion and world record breaker in Los Angeles in 1984, made a name for himself in Australian sport as the head of Queensland Swimming and the Queensland Academy of Sport.
Married to his Australian sweetheart Tracey Taggart, who he met during the '82 Games, Baumann is now in charge of the Canadian Olympic Committee's "Road to Excellence" program.
Appears the apples don't fall far from the tree.