Perth Signs Up for Track Classic and Junior Championships

Athletics Australia has agreed to a four-year deal with Western Australian Government to host both the Perth Track Classic and the Australian Junior Athletics Championships.

The deal, set in conjunction with Athletics Western Australia, will see the Perth Track Classic hosted on 11 February next year, and then again in 2013 and 2014. It also includes an unprecedented deal for the grassroots of the sport, as it becomes the first state ever to offer substantial financial support for the Australian Junior Athletics Championships and supporting pathway (2013 and 2016).

Dallas O’Brien, CEO of Athletics Australia, said: “We are delighted with what the Western Australia Government, through Eventscorp, has brought to the table, through this deal it has demonstrated its top to bottom support of the sport.

“The Perth Track Classic will be a wonderful opportunity for sports fans to see the stars of today, who will hopefully return successful from the world championships in Daegu and then be preparing for the Olympics next year, while the Australian Junior Athletics Championships will be an opportunity to see the stars of tomorrow.

“We appreciate the commitment of Eventscorp to the sport of athletics and it falls in line with the support already shown by the Western Australian Institute of Sport towards the pole vault and 400m.”

WA Tourism Minister Dr Kim Hames said the Western Australian Government, through Eventscorp, was proud to support both the Perth Track Classic and the Australian Junior Athletics Championships.

“With the Perth Track Classic, WA audiences could see home grown heroes like reigning world, Olympic, and Commonwealth pole vault champion, Steve Hooker, and Commonwealth gold medallist, Alana Boyd, go head-to-head with their overseas rivals.

“And the junior championships attract the best athletes from the under 14, 16, 18 and 20 age groups and has become a must for any junior athlete who wants to go on to represent Australia,” Dr Hames said.

“Western Australia now boosts a comprehensive athletics calendar with last month’s announcement that the 2016 World Masters Athletics Championships will be held in Perth.”

WAIS athlete Liz Parnov, who has just returned from the world youth championships in Lille with a silver medal in the pole vault, said: “It is such a bonus for me to have a really good quality open age competition and the Australian Junior Athletics Championships coming to my home track in Perth.

“The WA Government have been so supportive of athletics in this state, especially with our new track perfect for both vaulting and sprinting, so to now get the chance to do what I do best here is a real bonus.

“I won’t go as far as saying that I am a guaranteed winner because the depth of talent in this country is really improving but you should never complain about a home ground advantage.”

Next year’s Perth Track Classic will host over 250 Australian and international athletes and, as part of the Australian Athletics Tour, will offer an opportunity for Flame athletes to continue their preparations for London 2012. Meanwhile the Australian Junior Athletics Championships will see 1800 of the best 14 to 20-year-old athletes in the country arrive in the city in hope of demonstrating their potential, in 2013.

Highlights of last year’s Perth Track Classic included victories for several of the Flame team members, who are heading to the IAAF world championships at the end of the month.

Three members of the 4x100m relay team, Aaron Rouge-Serret (Vic), Liam Gander (NSW) and Matthew Davies (Qld), made it a one, two, three in the men’s 100m final, while Sally Pearson took a hat-trick of titles in the 100m, 200m and 100m hurdles. There were also victories for home favourites and WAIS athletes Kim Mickle (WA), in the javelin, and City Beach based Ben Offereins (WA) over the 400m.

Athletics fans in Perth can also look forward to the prospect of some sizzling world-class names. Last year’s Australian Athletics Tour saw double world championship gold medallist Bernard Lagat (USA) take to the track, as well as Kenya’s David Rudisha who has been unbeaten in the 800m since 2009. Former world-record holder Asafa Powell (JAM) is also a fan of the Tour, having previously competed in Australia.

-Athletics Australia