Middle-distance star Jeff Riseley shapes as one of the major beneficiaries from the decision to hold the Australian Olympic track and field trials in conjunction with an IAAF World Challenge meet.
Riseley has already bettered the qualifying standard in the 800m and 1500m and will contest both races at the March 2-3 trials at the new Lakeside Stadium, even though a timetable clash has ruled out the prospect of him doubling up at the Olympics.
The Victorian’s primary focus is the 1500m, where he will have reigning and Olympic world champion Asbel Kiprop for company on Friday night.
The standard will be just as high in Saturday’s 800m due to the presence of fellow Kenyan David Rudisha, the reigning world champion and world record holder.
Riseley has famously beaten Kiprop in the last two years in Melbourne and would love to make it a hat-trick on Friday.
But the bigger picture is being the first Australian home in a time under the A qualifying standard of three minutes 35.50 seconds.
“Having the Kenyans here makes it a completely different race,” said Riseley.
“It’s not just an Olympic trial – it’s more of a time trial.
They’ve both said they want to run 1:43.5 (in the 800m) and 3:32 (in the 1500m) and that’s really moving.
“It takes a lot of the thinking out of it.
“The 1500 is not going to be a tactical race, so I don’t have to worry about where I am.
“It’s more just getting there, running as relaxed as I can for the first few laps and then judging where I’m at.”
Having performed strongly in Australia and on the Diamond League circuit in the past few years, the 25-year-old Riseley knows the next step in his development is making a real mark at a major global championships.
“I think I’ve got the ability, my coach Nic Bideau thinks I’ve got the ability, it’s really ingraining that in me,” he said.
“It’s about being on the start-line and really believing, not having those doubts creeping in.
“That’s the challenge for me this year.”
Training partner and national record holder Ryan Gregson has chosen to focus solely on the 1500m in Melbourne after missing recent meets in Perth and Sydney with a leg injury.
There will also be plenty of interest in the men’s long jump, even though Mitchell Watt is giving the trials a miss, having secured his Olympic berth with silver at last year’s world championships.
Having jumped a remarkable 8.27m in Sydney last month to move to equal fifth on the Australian alltime list, triple jump specialist Henry Frayne is aiming to contest both events in London.
The strong long jump field on Saturday also includes reigning Commonwealth champion Fabrice Lapierre, Chris Noffke and Robbie Crowther, all battling for the remaining two vacancies alongside Watt.
The men’s 5000m on Saturday boasts a strong Australian field featuring 2005 world championships bronze medallist Craig Mottram, Collis Birmingham, Ben St Lawrence and David McNeill.
Mottram and Birmingham have already bettered the A standard, while St Lawrence is leaning towards the 10,000m.
As the reigning world champion, Sally Pearson is already guaranteed a start in the 100m hurdles in London where she will be the short-priced favourite.
But such is her voracious appetite for hard work, the Queenslander will contest the 100m and 200m as well as her pet event at the trials – the same treble she landed at last year’s national championships.
Although the trials provide the best opportunity for Australian athletes to book their spots on the London team, those who come up short have until June to better the qualifying standards and put themselves at the mercy of selectors.
