Genevieve LaCaze taking direct route to Rio Olympics with fourth 3000m steeplechase qualifying time

FOUR years ago, it took a public outcry and Australian Olympic Committee intervention to get her to the Olympic Games.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 05: The field jump in the Women's 3000 Metre Steeplechase during the IAAF World Challenge at Olympic Park on March 5, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

FOUR years ago, it took a public outcry and Australian Olympic Committee intervention to get her to the Olympic Games.

This time, Queenslander Genevieve LaCaze is taking a more direct route to Rio Games selection, after notching her fourth Olympic qualifying time for the 3000m steeplechase in Melbourne on Saturday.

LaCaze, who now trains with the Melbourne Track Club, clocked 9min43.93sec in finishing second to NSW’s Madeline Hill in the 3000m steeplechase.

A former student at Daisy Hill’s John Paul College, LaCaze was initially refused an Olympic qualifying time by Athletics Australia when she ran it two days after AA’s qualifying deadline in 2012. AOC president John Coates, sensing public support for her, championed her cause, AA relented on their stance and the Queenslander ended up running a personal best at the London Olympics.

LaCaze says her goal is to make the Olympic 3000m steeplechase final in August, not merely to make it to an Olympics as it had been for her in 2012.

Hills, a winner in 9:34.44, has the fastest four Australian times of the qualifying period in the event and is two years into a sterling comeback from an eight-year period out of the sport.

Queensland men won the 100m and 200m events in Melbourne.

Alex Hartmann, who is qualified for the 200m in Rio, stopped the clock at 20.76 (headwind 1m/s) in the half-lap sprint, in front of New Zealander Joseph Millar (20.95) and fellow Queenslander Ryan Bedford (21.26).

Gold Coast’s Aaron Stubbs’s consistency this season continued with his 10.34 (tailwind 1m/s) win in the 100m, from Millar (10.40) and Queenslander Mitchell Williams-Swain (10.50).

Originally published as Genevieve LaCaze taking direct route to Rio Olympics with fourth 3000m steeplechase qualifying time