Weekend Wrap, June 4-5

Tame, Fitzimmons impress as Aussie K4 crew takes shape

NSWIS paddler Lachlan Tame and his K2 1000 teammate Ken Wallace have continued their impressive Rio preparation to win silver at the latest round of the World Cup regatta in Portugal. 

The result marks the true form of the duo that have now made it two silver medals in a row following a career worst international result in Duisburg, Germany a fortnight ago. 

The two-time world championship silver medallists ended up a meagre 0.16 seconds short of victory. 

Fellow NSWIS team member Riley Fitzimmons and his paddling partner Jordan Wood, the reigning Under 23 world champions, claimed the bottom step of the podium. 

Tame rounded out his weekend with gold in the non-Olympic K1 500. 

Meanwhile Fitzimmons helped the Aussie K4 1000 crew that also included Wallace, Jacob Clear and Jordan Wood finish with a silver medal in Portugal, more than two seconds behind winners the Czech Republic. 

The crew, who only recently came together, finishes the world cup season with a gold and two silver medals. 

Australia is yet to finalise the make-up of the K4 crew for Rio, with NSWIS athlete and 2012 Olympic gold medallist Murray Stewart set to join the team at a training camp later this month. Tame is also available for selection.  

Yanitsas underpins Aussie water polo silver

Team NSWIS water polo goalkeeper Lea Yantisas has been named as the ‘Goalkeeper of the Tournament’ at the Kunshan Cup where the Australian women’s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers, won silver. 

After an undefeated week, that included a 5-4 defeat of the USA, it was the current world and Olympic champions who turned the tables on the Stingers in the final to win 7-5, adding another chapter to the narrative of the deep rivalry between the two sides. 

Despite the loss, Yanitsas told Water Polo Australia that the focus was now on the this week’s World League Super Final in Shanghai. 

“We have a whole round of games next week, we’ll review today’s game (against the USA) and get back to the drawing board and give it another crack next week,” Yanitsas said. 

Fellow NSWIS player Hannah Buckling celebrated her 100th international game for the Stingers during the Kunshan Cup. 

Blundell runs another Rio Qualifier, strong athletic weekend for NSWIS

NSWIS runner Jenny Blundell has pushed her Rio selection claims for the women’s 1500m again after running to a 4:05.30 in Oordegem, Belgium over the weekend, the time another qualifying benchmark. 

The result comes less than a month after Blundell ran to a sizzling personal best of 4:04.62 at the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing to put her name in the ring alongside Victorian’s Linden Hall and Zoe Buckman as they vie for selection alongside Melissa Duncan on the Australian Olympic Team. 

Meanwhile NSWIS hurdler Michelle Jenneke has continued her Rio preparations by winning the women’s 100 metre hurdles at the Queensland All-Comers in Townsville, clocking a 13.54 run into a strong headwind. 

Fellow NSWIS representative Taylor Doyle also competed in Townsville, the Doha 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships representative improving her national record to 4.58 metres in the T38 long jump for athletes with Cerebral Palsey. 

In the United Kingdom NSWIS endurance runner Eloise Wellings placed fifth in the women’s 5000 metre event at the Birmingham round of the prestigious IAAF Diamond League. Wellings will represent Australia in the Marathon event at the Rio Olympics. 

Hockeyroos claim silver

NSWIS athletes Georgina Morgan, Casey Sablowski, Grace Stewart, Kaitlin Nobbs and Kellie White all took the field for the Hockeyroos in the final of the International Hockey Open at Marrara Hockey Stadium, Darwin on Saturday, won 2-0 by New Zealand. 

A 0-0 score line following the first quarter set the tone for a tightly contested game, with New Zealand’s first goal coming 24 minutes into the second term. They scored again soon after, converting a corner penalty. 

Unfortunately the Aussies were unable to convert their opportunities, the loss also rounding out Nobbs’ debut tournament for the Hockeyroos. 

Magnussen golden in Santa Clara

NSWIS swimmer James Magnussen has had a successful day with the Australian Dolphins are the Arena Pro Swim Meet in Santa Clara to win the men’s 100 metre freestyle. 

A day earlier Magnussen swam a 22.19 to place third in the 50 metre freestyle behind his London 100 metre nemesis Nathan Adrian and Sydney 2000 gold medallist Anthony Ervin. 

However the spoils went to Magnussen in the 100 metre event as he swam a 48.99 to lead an Aussie quinella with Kyle Chalmers coming home second.