Australian track and field championships: Bella, Jasmin Guthrie chasing U20 world spots

These athletic twins, preparing for the upcoming Australian track and field championships, really are inseparable. But there’s still one thing they hate doing together.

Young Sydney athletes Bella and Jasmin Guthrie. Pic: Fred Etter/David Tarbotton

Jasmin and Bella Guthrie spend most of each day together, studying, hanging out and training for big track events.

The 18-year-old sisters say their closeness helps them in athletics where they both hope to compete at Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games side-by-side in the future.

But there’s one thing they hate doing together - the same event.

“We do the same course, exactly the same things, we do everything together,” said Jasmin, who will 400m events while Bella concentrates on the 400m hurdles at the Australian track and field championships which kicks off in Sydney on Saturday.

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Young Sydney runners Bella and Jasmin Guthrie. Pic: David Tarbotton/Fred Etter

“But I am glad we do have our own events in athletics.

“We don’t like being compared to each other and we don’t like competing against each other. It just adds pressure.’’

The Mount Ku-ring-gai duo, who are studying Sport and Exercise at Newcastle University’s Ourimbah campus, are both chasing a spot in the Australian under 20 team to compete in Columbia later this year with an Australian title in their respective under 20 events.

Both already have qualifying times with a win in the opening days of the meet securing them a spot in the Australian team.

Young Sydney runner Bella Guthrie. Pic: David Tarbotton

“I originally started with 400m but my coach and dad wanted me to try the hurdles because dad (Stuart) did it as well. I tried it and stuck with it,” Bella said.

“We always did the same events before that. Jasmine would always beat me in the 400 so I’m happy to have my own event.”

While Jasmin qualified for the Australian world under 20s team last year, which was unable to travel to the Kenyan championships due to Covid, Bella missed out.

“I just missed it last year by 10 milliseconds,” she said.

Bella said she and Jasmin have long been dreaming of representing at an Olympics and while they were not born when Cathy Freeman won her historic gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, it is a feast which inspires them.

Young Sydney hurdler Jasmin Guthrie. Pic: David Tarbotton/Feed Etter

“We always heard stories about Cathy Freeman and we used to do assignments on her,’’ Bella said.

“When I was about 11 or 10 I watched Sally Pearson win a big race and we knew we wanted to be part of that atmosphere one day.’’

Both sisters will also compete in the 4x400m relays at the Australian athletics championships.

Alongside the best young athletes in the country, Olympians including Nicola McDermott, Jessica Hull, Peter Bol, Charlie Hunter, Bendere Oboya and Ellie Beere will be competing at the Austalian championships at Sydney Olympic Park.

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Originally published as Australian track and field championships: Bella, Jasmin Guthrie chasing U20 world spots