Chemist Warehouse signs on as naming rights partner for Athletes Australia

A breakthrough Tokyo Olympics has resulted in a cash injection for Australia’s track and field team, with athletics’ peak body securing an important partnership.

Peter Bol was among athletes to capture Australians’ hearts in Tokoy. Picture: Matthias Hangst, Getty Images

An impressive Olympic Games from Australia‘s track and field team has finally seen some love come their way commercially.

For so long they’ve been in the shadow of other Olympic sports when it comes to sponsorship dollars but a breakthrough Games in Tokyo has resulted in a big payday for Athletics Australia.

On the back of Peter Bol, Rohan Browning, Nicola McDermott and Kelsey-Lee Barber capturing the hearts of the nation with their performances on the world‘s biggest stage, Chemist Warehouse has jumped on board.

The pharmacy retailer will be the sport’s naming rights partner over the next 12 months with the new partnership kicking off on Wednesday night in Melbourne for the Chemist Warehouse Zatopek:10.

Australia’s best distance runners will be at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park chasing qualifying times for the July world championships in Eugene, Oregon and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

The women’s event looms as the most intriguing with three genuine chances led by veteran Eloise Wellings who is gunning for her fourth Zatopek title.

Wellings, 39, who finished second in last month‘s Melbourne Marathon, is aiming to qualify for the 10,000m in Eugene and then back up a week later for the marathon in Birmingham.

She will have her hands full with Rose Davies and Izzy Batt-Doyle, two promising middle-distance runners who both made their Olympic debuts in Tokyo.

Davies, 22, won last year‘s Zatopek with a stunning personal best which rocketed her to seventh on the Australian all-time list while Batt-Doyle, 26, ran in the 5000m at her Games debut.

Brett Robinson will be the headline act in the men‘s event coming off his victory in the Melbourne Marathon.