Peter Bol has dominated the 800m race in Ninove Belgium, to record a PB in taking the win in 1:45.41. This run ranks inside the Top 10 All-time Australian 800m runs. The run also improves Peter’s time on the SKAAC all-time list (which has been updated), but as a testament to the talent within SKAAC, still sees him in 3rd position all-time at SKAAC.

In getting a super start, Peter made the pacesetter earn his Gatorade, opening up a sizable gap on the chasing pack in the first lap. His composure in the last 300m shows that the work Peter and coach Rinaldi is paying off at the right time of the season.

JR flies out later this week to oversee the final aspects of Peter’s Olympic quest, where he will have his 800m heat run on 12 August at 11:10pm Melbourne time.

After 71 years of going so close many times to having our first Olympic athlete, we are delighted to announce the selection of the following 3 legends to represent themselves, their families, their country and our great club at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Luke Mathews (800m & 1500m)

Sam McEntee (5000m)

Peter Bol (800m)

All at SKAAC are so proud of the work that each of these men have put in with their coaches (Justin Rinaldi & Nick Bideau) to cement their spots on the team. Luke becomes the first Australian male in 32 years to contest both the 800m & 1500m at the same Olympics.

All are reminded that our sponsor “The Glenferrie Hotel” have made available a large screen and private area for us to take in the 800m heats which will be held at about 11:10pm on 12 August 2016. There is no need to book, just join us on the night from 7:30pm as there is plenty of AFL Footy to watch as the curtain-raiser.

Please see below for the heat/semi/final times for the 800m/1500m/5000m so that you can set yourself for a massive 2016 Olympics.

Event	Rio Race Time	Melb Time Description
m 800m Heat	12/08/2016 10:10	Friday 12/8/2016 Night 11:10pm
m 800m Semi	13/08/2016 22:05	Sunday 14/8/2016 Morning 11:05am
m 800m Final	15/08/2016 22:25	Tuesday 16/8/2016 Morning 11:25am
m 1500m Heat	16/08/2016 10:30	Tuesday 16/8/2016 Night 11:30pm
m 1500m Semi	18/08/2016 20:45	Friday 19/8/2016 morning 9:45am
m 1500m Final	20/08/2016 21:00	Sunday 21/8/2016 Morning 10:00am
m 5000m Rnd 1	17/08/2016 10:05	Wednesday 17/8/2016 Night 11:05pm
m 5000m FINAL	20/08/2016 21:30	Sunday 21/8/2016 morning 10:30am

Peter Bol has lowered his PB to 1:45.78 (from 1:46.51) to leap into the selection frame for Australia in the 800m at the Rio Olympic Games during a race at Wiesbaden Germany on Wednesday. This come hot on the heels of his 400m PB of 47.20 set in Madrid a week ago.

All at SKAAC acknowledge this magnificent effort by Peter to qualify for Rio and to his brilliant coach, Justin Rinaldi. Well done lads!!

Go SKAAC

This season marks the 30th Anniversary of the club’s first ever Junior Venue/Region Premiership in the Under 18 Mens Competition at Box Hill in 1986/1987. Luckily there is a great photo to enable the club to celebrate this feat. Please see photo below, taken at the Association Final held at Olympic Park in March 1987. The team L-R 2nd Row is Cameron Hayes, Garun Hamilton, Derek Francis, Andrew Heaton, Mark Forytarz, Justin Murphy. Front Row is Mark Brady, Travis Mullarvey, Nick Owen, Richard Hope, Jon Savedra.

Many of those pictured held and continue to hold SKAAC Club Records and had distinguished APS careers.

Cameron Hayes: 4 x Senior Cross Country Champion (BJ Jones Cup);

Mark Brady: 3 x Club Champion (Syd James Memorial), School Captain & 1st XVIII Captain 1988 and still ranked the SKAAC Top 10 for 100m, 110m Hurdles, Triple Jump, ;

Garun Hamilton: Career sadly cut short by back injury but 1988 School Vice Captain & Dux;

Travis Mullarvey: Still holds a SKC School record in U17 4x100m Relay and was 1989 School Vice Captain;

Richard Hope: Arguably our greatest distance runner. Club record Holder for the Tan 10:51, 2 x Senior Cross Country Champion (BJ Jones Cup) and Australian Representative in Cross Country;

Justin Murphy: Captain of Athletics & Cross Country 1988

Mark Forytarz: Current club record holder for Under 18 5.4kg Hammer

Andrew Heaton: Currently ranked 6th on the SKAAC All Time Javelin Performances

Derek Francis: Sensationally won the 1986 APS 800m, SKC’s only track winner for the day.

 

On Saturday 28 May 2016, over 60 people from the SKAAC community came together to celebrate the five St. Kevin’s athletes to have won a Senior National 800m title. 4 of the 5 champions were in attendance on the night, with Luke Mathews currently in Europe preparing for the Rio Olympics in August offering probably the best excuse ever for being unable to attend on the night.

 

9 National 800m Champions since 1977 coming from St. Kevin’s can rightfully have us claim to be the 2^nd most successful 800m production line outside of the famous St. Patricks in Kenya. Please see below for a list of the years in which a St. Kevin’s athlete has won the National 800m title:-

 

John Higham (1977, 1978, 1979);

Peter Bourke (1980, 1982, 1984);

Simon Lewin (1993);

Alex Rowe (2014); and

Luke Mathews (2016).

 

A wonderful meal shared by all at The Glenferrie Hotel, our principal entertainment sponsor was followed by two riveting interview sessions expertly conducted by Justin Rinaldi (a National 800m Champion in 1997). John Higham and Peter Bourke were first to address the room to discuss their toughest training sessions, which centred around never asking Franz Stampfel as to why you were doing 20 x 200m for soon it would be 30 x 200m. John spoke of being the only Australian to have ever won the 400m/800m double at a national Championship, and also why he chose not to compete at the 1980 Olympic Games.

 

Peter Bourke in his unassuming way spoke to a silent room about the buildup to his famous win in the 800m at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games and the tactics that he took into the race. Peter also spoke of his preparation for big races seeking strong, PB level performances in distances either side of his specialist 800m event, in the 400m & 1500m.

Both John & Peter were unanimous in their views about the training methods employed by their coaches in the 1970’s & 1980’s being inferior to those methods of the current day coaching methods, particularly relating to the volume of training they completed.

A lovely dessert was soon followed by the final interview session with Simon Lewin & Alex Rowe (who leaves on Wednesday for Cologne, seeking a Rio qualifier). Simon Lewin spoke of his toughest session being in the sand dunes in Sorrento where the variation in rep performance would vary wildly between his best and slowest, due to incredible fatigue. Simon also spoke of mental preparation he completed to overcome long time competitor, Barry Acres to secure the 1993 National 800m title and also having Justin Rinaldi in the same race!! He also spoke of the form that he was in at the time, and that quite possibly he was possibly in better shape to win the 1993, National 1500m final, but the euphoria of winning the 800m took a little edge off – I say understandably!!

Alex Rowe spoke of his National 800m Record and the controversy surrounding him being in Monaco that famous night and the lead up to even receiving an invitation to contest the race. He also spoke of the heartbreak of injuring his hamstring soon after that record breaking run that was to rule him out of representing his country at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Each of the 4 National 800m Champions present were presented with a memorabilia piece outlining their athletic records and their connection to St. Kevin’s.

It was a wonderful tribute to five wonderful gentlemen and giants of not only our club, but our sport and our country. Please see below for some photos taken on the night. Key videos (including both interviews) will be up shortly.

 

While we were sleeping, Australia’s, Victoria’s and St Kevin’s rising middle distance star added a 1,500m Rio Olympic Games qualifier to his already secured spot on the Australian Team in the 800m.

On Wednesday 18 May 2016 in Nijmegan, Netherlands, Luke stopped the clock in a new PB of 3:35.99, taking 1.32sec from his previous best of 3:37.31, run at the Briggs Track Classic in Hobart in February this year.

Luke’s next race is over 800m on 22 May 2016.

Huge effort Luke. Keep it up.

Go SKAAC

P.S. Records and Rankings have been updated with this slashing run 🙂