Jeff Riseley, centre, competing in the 800m at last Thursday’s Melbourne Grand Prix, is hoping to retain his spot in the national squad in this week’s Australian Athletics Championships.Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
STAR local middle-distance runner Jeff Riseley faces a huge challenge to retain his spot on the Australian team after a disappointing performance at last Thursday’s Melbourne Grand Prix at Olympic Park.
Riseley was the last of the six 800m competitors to cross the line in last week’s event in 1:48.74 – more than two seconds outside of his best time.
New South Welshman Lachlan Renshaw continued his scintillating form to win the race in a personal best of 1:45.79.
The meet was the same one that announced Riseley to the athletics world last year and ultimately led to him representing Australia at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, in September.
But the former Narre Warren little athlete returned home with pain in his ankle, only to be diagnosed as having a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot.
It has been a constant battle for Riseley ever since, with a niggling right knee injury that was directly related to the stress fracture and a calf strain in his left leg the latest setbacks.
The Harkaway resident was restricted to pool work until the start of this year before making his 2008 debut in Canberra last month.
Riseley ran 1:47.79 to beat home all runners except Renshaw and he was pleased with his performance.
“It’s been pretty tough, so I’m doing fairly well for what I’ve been through because I’ve sort of only been running properly since January,” he said. “No doubt I’m in good shape to be able to run 1:47 first-up on barely any training.
“It proves I can run 1:47 at any time of the year and that’s really good to know. As training goes along I expect to improve, so starting at 1:47 is pretty good.”
But Riseley was hoping the Melbourne race would serve as a confidence booster ahead of this week’s Australian Athletics Championships at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.
Instead he will have to rely on the confidence he built last year as he went from athletics nobody to being touted as one of the best Australian middle-distance prospects in years.
The competition doubles as the selection trials for August’s Beijing Olympic Games.
The 800m heats are tomorrow (Friday) before the final is held on Saturday night.
