Luke Mathews takes 800m title at Australian Athletics Championships on the Gold Coast

IT was billed as one of the races of the championships but instead Luke Mathews made the men’s 800m a one-act affair, putting the rest of the field to the sword in an impressive Commonwealth Games trial.

Luke Mathews celebrates his win in the 800m on Saturday night.

IT was billed as one of the races of the championships but instead Luke Mathews made the men’s 800m a one-act affair.

The Victorian was devastating over the final 300m, putting the rest of the field to the sword to win in an impressive 1min45.90sec at the Commonwealth Games trials.

Sydney’s Joshua Ralph sealed his spot on the Games team by finishing second (1:46.85sec) while veteran Jeff Riseley faded for third (1:46.85sec).

Luke Mathews with and coach and mum Elizabeth.

It’s been a tumultuous six months for Mathews, 22, who split from coach Nic Bideau on the eve of last year’s world championships. He is now back working with his mother, Elizabeth, who coached him as a junior.

“That was everything I wanted and more,” Mathews said about his third national title.

“There’s something about trials, whether it’s for the Olympics or this, which adds so much more pressure so I’m really happy with that.

“I’m happy I could move on from the dark times I’ve had in July-August last year and do something for my mum.

Asked what it was like living with your coach, he said: “When (my mother) tells me I can’t go out on a Saturday I hate her, but it’s probably fair enough.”

Mathews has indicated he wants to run both the 800m and 1500m at the Commonwealth Games with the decision in the hands of the selectors.

Earlier young Victorian Joseph Deng threw his name into the ring with a stunning performance in the 800m B-final, clocking an A-standard time of 1:45.71sec.

Luke Mathews celebrates his win in the 800m on Saturday night.

In the women’s 1500m Victoria’s Linden Hall won her first national title and Commonwealth Games selection after producing an A-standard qualifying performance of 4min07.55sec.

The 26-year-old, who was a semi-finalist at the Rio Olympics, was too strong for Zoe Buckman (4:08.15sec) over the final 50m.

Buckman also booked a spot on the team as she already had the required A-standard time while the disappointment of the race was defending champion Heidi See who faded for sixth.

“It’s my first national title which means so much as well,” Hall said.

“Every time I line up at a race and they go through people’s credentials no one has been able to say national title yet so finally I can add that to my list.”

Hall also has an A-standard in the 5000m and has indicated she is willing to do both events at the Games given it is three days after the 1500m.

Western Australia’s Nina Kennedy will make her Commonwealth Games debut after claiming her first national title in the women’s pole vault, clearing 4.60m.

Brandon Starc qualified for the Commonwealth Games.

Rio Olympic finalist Brandon Starc easily won the men’s high jump with an A-standard qualifying mark of 2.28m.

Another highlight on the third evening of the championships came from Melbourne schoolgirl Isis Holt who broke her own world record in the 100m Ambulant T-35 class.

The 16-year-old, who set the world record at last year’s world championships in London, went under the mark by .06sec in clocking 13.37sec.

Originally published as Luke Mathews takes 800m title at Australian Athletics Championships on the Gold Coast