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Michelle Jenneke lights up athletics world as Aussie runners make history

Torrie Lewis and Jessica Hull both achieved historic feats at the Australian track and field championships.

Michelle Jenneke and Torrie Lewis, pictured here at the national athletics championships.
Michelle Jenneke and Torrie Lewis at the national athletics championships. Image: AAP

Michelle Jenneke marked a triumphant return to the Australian track and field championships on Sunday by taking out her second national title with victory in the 100m hurdles. Dubbed 'jiggling Jenneke' for her famous pre-race routine, the runner hasn't always drawn favourable headlines for her work on and off the track.

But the 29-year-old appears to be in the form of her life after securing her spot for the world titles in Budapest with a time of 12.77. It marked the fifth time Jenneke has gone under the automatic qualifying standard of 12.78, and her fifth win of the Australian summer.

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“I’m really happy with that. I think that was my fifth World Championships qualifier and I got the win at nationals, so that means I’ll go to Budapest and that’s very exciting,” Jenneke said. “This is only my second national title. I competed for a long time against Sally Pearson so… a kind of a difficult one to beat. I think there is more in the tank though and we’ll see what we can do later on in the season.”

Also on Sunday, 18-year-old sprint gun Torrie Lewis and middle-distance star Jessica Hull completed historic multiple triumphs on the final day of the 100th edition of the national championships in Brisbane. Lewis backed up her breakthrough win in the 100m on Saturday to claim the 200m title in a personal best time of 23.02 seconds, with Ella Connolly (23.16) and Riley Day (23.24) completing a Queensland trifecta.

In completing the double, Lewis became the second-youngest woman to achieve the feat after Glenys Beasley back in 1962. "It was way more than I could have expected," she said.

"To be honest I came in with high hopes for the 100. But the situation wasn't the best coming into the championships and for the 200 I just didn't really feel fit enough. So to come in and win, especially with the back-end strength, I'm pretty happy."

Torrie Lewis, pictured here after winning the 200m at the Australian track and field championships.
Torrie Lewis celebrates after winning the 200m at the Australian track and field championships. (AAP Image/Darren England) (AAPIMAGE)

Lewis said her surprise win in the 200m may force her into a rethink for the world championships in August. "Yesterday I would have told you the 100 was the main target for sure," she said.

"Now it's a case of whatever on the day. It's a surprise for me and for you and then there's always the relay too."

Lewis took four-hundredths of a second off her personal best, making up for a sluggish star with a powerhouse finish. "I was that close to going sub-23," she said. "Hopefully this is the season to get it."

Jessica Hull makes never-before-seen Aussie history

Meanwhile, Hull became the first Australian woman in history to hold the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m titles simultaneously. Hull won the 5000m title on Sunday in 15:05.87, one day after grabbing victory in the 1500m.

The 26-year-old also won the Australian 3000m championship last month in Sydney. She had a crack at the tough world championships qualifying mark in the 500m, but realised it was out of reach with 1000m to go.

"Being able to do that time solo today does give me a lot of confidence that I can hang in there in Budapest (if I contest the 1500m and 5000m)," she said. "It's been a great weekend and a really productive one." Callum Davies also did the 1500m-5000m double - winning the latter in 13:52.82.

Jessica Hull, pictured here after completing the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m treble.
Jessica Hull now holds the national title in the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m. (AAP Image/Darren England) (AAPIMAGE)

Two-time Commonwealth Games pole vault champion Kurtis Marschall claimed the national title with a best clearance of 5.80m. However he called it a day when he was lucky to escape serious injury after snapping his pole while attempting what would have been an outdoor PB of 5.90m.

Catriona Bisset set a championships record of 1:58.32 to win the women's 800m. The ultra-consistent Victorian is back to full fitness after suffering a minor hamstring injury earlier this year.

Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers won the women's high jump title with 1.95m. And Jake Doran took gold in the men's 200m in 20.81.

with AAP

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