Aussie teen stuns with records in hurdles and pole vault

Australia has unearthed its next track and field star but the rise of 16-year-old Sasha Zhoya comes with a catch . . . we’re no guarantee to keep him.

Australia has unearthed its next track and field star but the rise of 16-year-old Sasha Zhoya comes with a catch . . . we’re no guarantee to keep him.

Zhoya has turned Homebush Stadium on its head at this week’s national championships seemingly breaking records at will in a number of different events.

The problem is the Perth junior star is also eligible to represent France because his mother is a former elite French snow skier.

And the French are aware of his freakish talents with Zhoya indicating he will make a decision on which country he represents by the end of the year.

Athletics Australia needs to move heaven and earth to keep him given the evidence he’s thrown down so far this week and there’s more to come over the next two days.

Zhoya won his third gold medal in the U/18 110m hurdles, clocking an Australian record time of 13.05 sec - breaking his own mark of 13.24se which he set in 2017.

Sasha Zhoya is on track to become a world beater. Picture: AAP Image/Steve Christo

Sasha Zhoya has set a World Age Best for the 110m hurdles at the national championships. Picture: Athletics Australia

The time is also the World Age Best for a 16-year-old with the previous record 13.13 sec.

Zhoya broke the U/18 pole vault world record on day one of the championships when he cleared 5.56m.

He is set to compete another five times including in the men’s 100m and the open men’s pole vault on Sunday.

Originally published as Aussie teen stuns with records in hurdles and pole vault