Gift Treble Puts Ross In Running To Realise Athens Dream
Newcastle Herald
Saturday January 3, 2004
NEWCASTLE sprinter Josh Ross has an eye on the Athens Olympics after blitzing the field to win the coveted Burnie Gift in Tasmania on Thursday night.
The Newcastle University student from Gillieston Heights has now completed a stunning hat-trick in winning the Stawell Gift, Latrobe Gift and Burnie Gift, regarded as the three most prestigious races of their kind in Australia.
The 22-year-old has been invited to race in the first round of the Australian Grand Prix Series in Perth next week, a dream come true for the hottest sprinting talent to emerge since Patrick Johnson.
``This is an opportunity he never thought he was good enough to reach until two-and-a-half years ago," coach Tony Fairweather said of his young charge.
``While the iron is hot we have to strike and Josh will go to Perth next week. I think he has got a big future and that includes making the team to go to Athens later this year.
``He has to get his times up a little bit to make that step and I feel that he can do it."
Ross stunned Australia's sprinting fraternity in Easter last year when he claimed the most coveted foot race in the country, the Stawell Gift.
Born and bred on the Central Coast, Ross continued his great form with victory in the Latrobe Gift last week when he was the back-marker off 2.75metres.
Handicappers wheeled Ross in for the Burnie Gift and he was forced back to scratch, but he prevailed in sensational style to pocket the $10,000 first prize.
Ross covered the 120m trip in 12.80seconds.
``The time was not important because they were running into a strong head wind, so you couldn't get good times anyway," Fairweather said. ``There are a lot of good, classy runners in the field, and he is beating them all.
``Ambrose Ezenwa represented Nigeria at the Olympics and is regarded as one of the best runners in the country, and he is beating him off scratch."
Ross has never raced against Australian sprinting sensation Patrick Johnson but cannot wait for the opportunity to do so.
``Josh idolises Patrick because he is an aboriginal and Josh is half aboriginal himself," Fairweather said. Maitland's Trish Holz pocketed $3000 for her victory in the prestigious Devonport 400m last week. She beat world champion 400m hurdler Jana Pittman in the final.
Holz also won the 400m final at Latrobe last week.
Megan Hines, another Fairweather stable runner, won the 70m final at Burnie and got through to the 120m final.
Thomas Scott finished second to Ross in the Latrobe Gift and second in the Devonport 200m final but injured his groin in the 120m semi-final at Burnie.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald
