Sally Pearson
After Sally Pearson clinched her historic silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, there were high hopes for her at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Those hopes were fulfilled in the lead up to the 100m Commonwealth finals where Pearson ran the fastest time for an Australian woman in 2010: 11.28. However, as the drama played out, she was disqualified from the final, leaving a point to prove at the London 2012 Olympics. Pearson is the dominant athlete in Australian athletics at the moment, ranking first also in the 200m (23.19) and 100m hurdles (12:57).
Collis Birmingham
Middle-distance champion, Collis Birmingham, ends the year as the fastest man in Australia over 5000m. His time of 13min 10sec, ran in July in the US, is among the fastest run by an Australian. His international form continued as he placed 18th over 5000m in Stockholm, before clocking a new personal best time of 7:42.39 over 3000m in London. Keep an eye out for Birmingham in 2011.
In the marathon, Jeff Hunt ran a blistering 2hr 11min in February in Japan. Hunt has worked hard for years in lowering his 5000m times and his speed was transferred to a fast 1hr 2min 44sec half marathon at the Gold Coast in 2009. With this as a lead up, and chasing a spot at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Hunt stunned many with his Japan performance. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth Games was unfavourable to him, placing 13th in the men's marathon in a time of 2:25:03. The Indian heat sapped the energy from Hunt, but look out for him as he races in 2011, and possibly becomes one of the first Australians to go under 2hr 10min for the marathon in several years.
