Armstrong Claims Oceania Title and IAAF World Ranking Points

Angus Armstrong has won the men’s pole vault title at the Oceania Championships in Townsville with a best jump of 5.40m.

Wind conditions had forced a lengthy postponement of the men’s senior pole vault competition on day one, with athletes finally taking to the runway under floodlights.

With the crash mats moved to eliminate cross-winds, Armstrong handled both the delay and the conditions best to be the only man in the field to clear at 5.40m. In doing so, he added an Oceania title to the Australian national title he won at this year’s championships in Sydney.

His WAIS training mate Stephen Clough was second after he managed to clear at 5.30m, but such are the narrow margins of the sport, Clough was nearly crowned Oceania champion after he’d achieved a first up clearance at the height, whilst Armstrong required a third and final clearance – starring at elimination – before proceeding to his eventual winning height.

Armstrong then raised the bar to 5.53m and had three unsuccessful jumps at a height that would’ve represented a new personal best if he’d managed to clear. His consolation however, was a Championships record at 5.40m.

Victory will be a sweet one however, with the Oceania Championships offering elevated IAAF world ranking points following a restructure to the Olympic qualification standard earlier in the year.

With ranking points for the championships being held in North Queensland accruing a higher level than the points which were available at the Australian Athletics Championships back in April, the 2019 Oceania titles has understandably attracted a high quality cabal of athletes which includes Olympic and World Champion hurdler Sally Pearson.

2018 U20 World Championship representative Declan Tingay was also in action on day one in Townsville, with the 20 year-old taking second place behind recent Commonwealth Games representative Rhydian Cowley in the men’s 10km race walk.

Cowley won in 41:57.57 ahead of Tingay’s 42:42.44.

Ian Dewhurst safely progressed from the heats of the men’s 400m hurdles on day one, whilst the Oceania Championships will also see Liz Parnova (women’s pole vault), Lauren Hyde-Cooling (women’s pole vault), Brianna Beahan (women’s 100m hurdles) and Matt Ramsden (men’s 1500m) in action.