Day 4: 129th NSW Open Championships and HART Sport 55th Little Athletics NSW Championships

23 March 2026

Day 4: 129th NSW Open Championships and HART Sport 55th Little Athletics NSW Championships

Early showers cleared to good conditions on day four of the of the 129th NSW Open Championships and HART Sport 55th Little Athletics NSW Championships.

Telaya Blacksmith, who has been concentrating on the 400m and long jump events in recent years as they are on the Paralympic Games program, stepped out over 200m destroying her own PB and Australian T20 classification U20 and open records with a time of 24.75 seconds. It was a 0.92 seconds PB, smashing her previous best of 25.67 seconds. Blacksmith improved her own Australian U20 record and broke Lisa Lorens’ 26-year-old Australian open record of 25.01. Such was the level of the performance, Blacksmith just missed the Australian Allcomers record of 24.62, set by Indian athlete Deepthi Jeevanji. Second to Blacksmith, Paralympic Games bronze medallists Mali Lovell ran a quick time of 29.93 seconds, just outside of her Australian record of 29.64 seconds.

Over just 15 minutes, Delta Amidzovski, won two NSW open titles. After delivering two excellent leaps of 6.55m and 6.60m in her long jump series, she quickly changed her shoes and races to run in the start of the 100m hurdles. 13.06 100m hurdler Emily Britton was the favourite as Amidzovski’s PB is 13.22 seconds, dating back to 2024. In hurdles final, it was a terrific battle with Amidzovski edging Britton 13.22 to 13.23. It was an equal PB for Amidzovski. Her long jump mark of 6.60m, was just 2cm below her recent PB of 6.62m recorded at the Hobart Track Classic.

The men’s long jump was a cracking competition between national silver medallists and eight metre jumper, Liam Fairweather and World U20 Championships bronze medallist Mason McGroder. McGroder opened well with 7.62m, but Fairweather responded with 7.70m in round two. There was no change until round seven when McGroder leapting 7.77m, to seize the lead by 7cm, a jump just short of his 7.80m PB. They would finish in that order.

Competing in her fourth race in four days, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron claimed a rare double winning the 800m/1500m titles. On Sunday she clocked a time of 2:04.37 to win the 800m title. Camden’s Levi McKenzie won the 12s distance double in his second championship record. After his 1500m win on Saturday, he added the 800m title to his collection in a record time of 2:08.65 – 0.71 seconds under the old standard.

Lauren Percival, former Australian U18 200m champion in 2021, has over the last 12 months under coach Abbie Taddeo, made a resurgence in her career. Now 22, she is NSW 200m champion in a quick time of 23.51, after starting the season never having run under 24 seconds. This year she has set four PBs – 24.17, 23.97, 23.82 and now 23.51. In the NSW title yesterday, Percival just held off 100m silver medallist Jade Johnston-Mitrevska (23.56). In the heats, sub-23 sprinter Lakara Stallan, continues to ease back into competition clocking 23.85, in just her second race of the season.

Harlow Pate added the 12s 200m record to her growing list of achievements. She snuck under the old record of Chelsea Ezeoke (25.69) to clock 25.36.

Ashlyn Blackstock continued at her new consistent level with another 55 metres throw to take the discus title. She hit 55.21m in round five. Shot put champion, Bruce Nolan added the discus to his collection in a very close battle with Angus Clues. In the end, just 17cm separated Nolan with 47.55m from Clues’ 47.38m. Winston Hills athlete Shreya Iyer was outstanding winning four titles with two being records. Competing in the 11s she won the 80m hurdles, discus, long jump and triple jump. The discus (40.89m) and triple jump (10.58m) broke the previous best ever mark.

Running into brilliant form is 10.23 100m sprinter Joseph Ayaode. Having never broken 21 second in the 200m, yesterday on a wet track he scorched 20.67 to take the NSW open title, ahead of a big PB time of 20.75 for Jake Hayter. Liam Lowe, clinched a rare sprint treble in the 9s, winning a close 200m on Sunday in a time of 28.60 from Kai Levitski (28.97). Lowe also won the hurdles, silver in the relay and his 400m time had broken a 51-year-old record. Levitski, from Northern Illawarra Little Athletics, enjoyed a strong championships, with silver in the 400m and gold in the 800m in a record time of 2:24.72.

Clearing 2.16m in the high jump, Angus Clark broke his 4-year-old PB of 2.15m.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Telaya Blackstock in the 200m (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)