The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships.[1] The event is conducted by Athletics Australia.[2]

The 2023 Australian Championships were the 100th edition of the event, which dates back to 1890 for men, and 1931 for women. These championships has been held in all states of Australia, with the Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre being the venue that has held the most editions of the event (12).

Initially, men’s and women’s events were held separately, in different places, until the Olympic selections of 1972 and 1976, and as a single event since 1978.

These championships are considered open: athletes from other countries such as New Zealand and the USA have competed in and won events.

History

The championships were first held on 31 May 1890 under the name Inter Colonial Meet at Moore Park in Sydney.

In 1893, teams from the Australasian colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand competed in the first formalised Australasian Athletics Championships meeting.[3]

A New Zealand team continued to compete in this event until the 1927/28 event. At the next championships in 1929/30, women's events were included for the first time.

In 1933, the women began conducting their own championships, with a wider range of events. Except for occasional combined championships in 1936, 1972 and 1976, the separation of men's and women's championships continued until the 1977/78 event.[3]

Championship events

The full range of Olympic events is not usually conducted at the national championships. For example, during the 2007/08 season the following championship events were held separately:

Most successful athletes

See also: List of Australian athletics champions (men) and List of Australian athletics champions (women)

The most successful athletes at the Championships have been throwers Gael Martin and Warwick Selvey who won 20 and 19 championships events, respectively.[9]

List of championships

Year Venue Place
1890–91 Moore Park Sydney
1893–94 Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne
1895–96 Lancaster Park [i] Christchurch
1897–98 Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney
1899–00 Bowen Park Brisbane
1901–02 Auckland Domain [i] Auckland
1903–04 Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne
1905–06 Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney
1907–08 Hobart Cricket Ground Hobart
1909–10 Bowen Park Brisbane
1911–12 Basin Reserve [i] Wellington
1913–14 Amateur Sports Ground Melbourne
1919–20 Sydney Sports Ground Sydney
1921–22 Adelaide Oval Adelaide
1923–24 North Hobart Oval Hobart
1925–26 Bowen Park Brisbane
1927–28 Basin Reserve [i] Wellington
1929–30 Melbourne Cricket Ground Melbourne
1931–32 Sydney Cricket Ground Sydney
1932–33 Amateur Sports Ground [ii] Melbourne
1933–34 Adelaide Oval [iii] Adelaide
1934–35 Lang Park [ii] Brisbane
1935–36 North Hobart Oval [iii] Hobart
Rushcutters Bay Oval [ii] Sydney
1937–38 Bowen Park [iii] Brisbane
Royal Park [ii] Melbourne
1939–40 Leederville Oval [ii] Perth
1946–47 Leederville Oval [iii] Perth
1947–48 St. Kilda Cricket Ground [iii] Melbourne
University Oval [ii] Sydney
1948–49 Sydney Cricket Ground [iii] Sydney
1949–50 Adelaide Oval [iii] Adelaide
Norwood Oval [ii] Adelaide
1950–51 North Hobart Oval [iii] Hobart
1951–52 Exhibition Grounds [iii] Brisbane
Olympic Park [ii] Melbourne
1952–53 Leederville Oval [iii] Perth
1953–54 Sydney Cricket Ground [iii] Sydney
Leederville Oval [ii] Perth
1954–55 Olympic Sports AdelaideKensington Oval [iii] Adelaide
1955–56 Olympic Park [iii] Melbourne
Brisbane Cricket Ground[ii] Brisbane
1956–57 Olympic Park [iii] Melbourne
1957–58 Exhibition Grounds [iii] Brisbane
Sydney Sports Ground [ii] Sydney
1958–59 North Hobart Oval [iii] Hobart
1959–60 Leederville Oval [iii] Perth
North Hobart Oval [ii] Hobart
1960–61 Lang Park [iii] Brisbane
1961–62 ES Marks Athletics Field[iii] Sydney
West Parkland Field [ii] Adelaide
1962–63 Thebarton Oval [iii] Adelaide
Lang Park [ii] Brisbane
1963–64 Olympic Park [iii] Melbourne
Royal Park [ii] Melbourne
1964–65 North Hobart Oval [iii] Hobart
Perry Lakes Stadium [ii] Perth
1965–66 Perry Lakes Stadium [iii] Perth
Sydney Sports Ground [ii] Sydney
1966–67 Olympic Sports Field [iii] Adelaide
North Hobart Oval [ii] Hobart
1967–68 ES Marks Athletics Field[iii] Sydney
Olympic Sports Field [ii] Adelaide
1968–69 Olympic Park [iii] Melbourne
Lang Park [ii] Brisbane
1969–70 Olympic Sports Field [iii] Adelaide
Royal Park [ii] Melbourne
1970–71 Lang Park [iii] Brisbane
Sydney Sports Ground[ii] Sydney 
1971–72 Perry Lakes Stadium Perth
1972–73 ES Marks Athletics Field[iii] Sydney
North Hobart Oval [ii] Hobart
1973–74 Olympic Park [iii] Melbourne
Olympic Sports Field [ii] Adelaide
1974–75 Olympic Sports Field [iii] Adelaide
Lang Park [ii] Brisbane
1975–76 Olympic Park Melbourne
1976–77 The Domain [iii] Sydney
Sydney Sports Ground [ii] Sydney
1977–78 QE II Stadium Brisbane
1978–79 Perry Lakes Stadium Perth
1979–80 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1980–81 Olympic Sports Field Adelaide
1981–82 QE II Stadium Brisbane
1982–83 Olympic Park Melbourne
1983–84 Olympic Park Melbourne
1984–85 Bruce Stadium Canberra
1985–86 Olympic Sports Field Adelaide
1986–87 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1987–88 Perry Lakes Stadium Perth
1988–89 QE II Stadium Brisbane
1989–90 Olympic Park Melbourne
1990–91 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1991–92 Olympic Sports Field Adelaide
1992–93 QE II Stadium Brisbane
1993–94 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1994–95 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1995–96 ES Marks Athletics Field Sydney
1996–97 Olympic Park Melbourne
1997–98 Olympic Park Melbourne
1998–99 Olympic Park Melbourne
1999–00 Stadium Australia Sydney
2000–01 QE II Stadium Brisbane
2001–02 QE IIANZ Stadium Brisbane
2002–03 QE IIANZ Stadium Brisbane
2003–04 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2004–05 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2005–06 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2006–07 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre Brisbane
2007–08 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre Brisbane
2008–09 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre Brisbane
2009–10 Western Australian Athletics Stadium Perth
2010–11 Olympic Park Melbourne
2011–12 Lakeside Stadium Melbourne
2012–13 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2013–14 Albert Park Melbourne
2014–15 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre Brisbane
2015–16 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2016–17 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2017–18 Carrara Stadium Gold Coast
2018–19 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2019–20 Main championships not held  [iv]
2020–21 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney [12][13]
2021–22 Sydney Olympic Park Sydney
2022–23 Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre Brisbane [14]
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d - held in New Zealand as part of the Australasian Athletics Championships
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z - women's championship only
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af - men's championship only
  4. ^ The main championships were not held but eight events were completed prior to the cancellation.[10][11]

Championships records

Women

Event Record Athlete/Team Date Meet Place Ref
800 m 1:58.32 Catriona Bisset 30 March 2023 2022–23 Championships Brisbane [15]
High jump 2.00 m NR Nicola McDermott 18 April 2021 2020–21 Championships Sydney [16]

References

  1. ^ Athletics Australia - Selection Criteria Archived 26 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Athletics Australia - 86th National Championships Archived 18 June 2007 at archive.today
  3. ^ a b Athletics Australia National Championships results
  4. ^ Zatopek Classic Archived 20 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Australian 50k Road Walk Championships Archived 12 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Sydney Grand Prix
  7. ^ IAAF World Athletics Tour – Melbourne
  8. ^ Australian 20k Road Walk Championships Archived 1 August 2008 at archive.today
  9. ^ Athletics Australia - Australian Championships Superlatives
  10. ^ Men's results 2019–20
  11. ^ Women's results 2019–20
  12. ^ Men's results 2020–21
  13. ^ Women's results 2020–21
  14. ^ "Results". Athletics Australia. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Hull doubles at Australian Championships, Van Niekerk and Simbine shine at South African Championships". World Athletics. 2 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  16. ^ Steve Smythe (19 April 2021). "Junior records for Athing Mu and Christine Mboma – weekly round-up". athleticsweekly.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
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