Rose blooms at Zatopek:10

NSW Institute of Sport Scholarship athlete Rose Davies clinched her third 10,000m national title with a great victory over the weekend at Melbourne’s On Track Nights: Zatopek:10.

Davies, a finalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, won a seesawing affair for the Australian Women’s 10,000m championships title. Davies prevailed with a strong run home in a time of 32:21.71.

 The 24-year-old fended off defending champion Lauren Ryan and former winner Leanne Pompeani in times of 32:23.30 and 32:32.51 respectively, rounding out her breakthrough year.

“I was pretty nervous coming into this,” said Davies. “Obviously, Lauren [Ryan] is the Australian record holder, Leanne [Pompeani] is running really well at the moment and I knew Holly [Campbell] would be sneaky out there.

 “I feel like I have had a new found confidence this year and I’m really happy to finish with the best race of the season.”

Victoria’s Jack Rayner became the undisputed king of Australian men’s 10,000m running after winning his fourth consecutive crown. He joins Australian legend Steve Moneghetti as only the second male athlete to win four consecutive Australian titles over the distance.

Another NSWIS athlete who competed at the Olympics earlier this year, Ella Connolly, came agonisingly close to her Australian record with a 7.27-second (-0.2) performance. She will compete in the 100m and 400m at Blacktown in Sydney’s western suburbs this weekend.

Meanwhile, NSWIS athletes Elizabeth McMillen and Allanah Pitcher took silver and bronze behind Olivia Sandery at the Australian 35km Race Walking titles in Melbourne.

Sandery beat home McMillen who clocked 2:47:26 to sneak under the 2:48:00 World Championships standard, while Allanah Pitcher rounded out the podium in 2:57:51.