2018 Commonwealth Games/ 2018 World University Cross Country

MUAC athletes Lisa Weightman and Rosie Donegan have been selected to represent Australia in 2018, marking the start of a big year of athletics for MUAC.

Commonwealth Games Australia today confirmed the first 14 members of the 111 strong Australian Athletics Team to compete at Gold Coast 2018 (GC2018).

Australian Team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti, joined by newly-announced team members; Isis Holt, Jessica Trengove and Lisa Weightman, made the announcement at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, the heart of athletics during Australia’s last home Games in 2006.

“This announcement is very exciting, it’s the first announcement of the year, so it makes the Games feel very real and close,” Moneghetti said.

“Given I have a strong connection with athletics, I feel extremely humble to welcome these 14 athletes onto the Australian Team for Gold Coast 2018.”

Lisa Weightman, bronze medallist at Delhi 2010, has developed into the fastest modern-day female marathoner in Australia, just last year she ran a personal best time at the London Marathon which elevated her to the number three Australian marathoner of all-time.

“I’m on my way to the same physical shape I was in when I ran 2hr25m15s in London earlier this year.  Everything went right in London.  If everything goes right again on the Gold Coast, it will be an exciting race.” Weightman’s form is evident from her recent sessions on the Rawlinson, where she recently hit some PB times on the recently repaired surface.

In his role as the leader of the Australian Team, Moneghetti talked about his history at the last home Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the crowds that the athletes will run in front of.

“Probably the greatest moment of my life was calling the great Kerryn McCann home in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Marathon,” Moneghetti said,

“The crowds we get at an Australian games is incredible, the support the Athletes will feel running in front of a 35,000-strong home crowd will inspire them to run even stronger.”

The remaining athletes in the Australian Athletics Team will be announced in late February 2018.

Rosie Donegan, currently resident in Boston, has been selected for the 2018 World University Cross Country Championships in St Gallen, Switzerland on April 4.  Fresh from setting a MUAC 5000m record at an indoor meet, Donegan will return to Australia to contest the Victorian Mile Championships at the Rawlinson and the 5000m and steeplechase at the  Australian Athletics Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials.