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Women's Steeplechase
Report, 16 December 2002
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SHORTER STEEPLING DISTANCES
Increasing the distance to be run will cause a runner's pace to become
slower as an offset to cardiovascular stress. We have seen college women,
entered in a 10 km track race to gain some team points, survive by jogging.
But a jogging pace is too slow for steeple hurdling, an activity
requiring speed sustained past the final barrier, in which cardiovascular
stress is exacerbated by muscular fatigue from barrier clearances -- as
many
as 35 in a 3000-meter steeple. Steeplers who attempt to ease off the pace
will lack the speed needed for efficient and safe clearance of both the
on-track hurdles and the water jump barrier.
Steeple hurdles, with an average weight of 90 kilograms / 198
pounds, do not yield or tip when struck a steepler's leg. Those most at
risk
are novice steeplers who lack the years of training needed to develop
sustained hurdling speed through a 3000-meter race.
The favored solution is to run shorter races in the early years, as
demonstrated by Russia when leading women's steepling development in the
1980s with 2000-meter steeple events. That distance remained a global
standard for women's open competition. including national championships
and
Goodwil Games, until 1998 although the USA changed to 3000m in 1995.
The global standard remains at 2000 meters for "Junior" (under
age 20)
women, and 1500m is common for "Youth" (the IAAF label for under
age 18).
Results sent to Steeple Report from many nations confirm renewed recognition
of the need for young and novice athletes to race no farther than distances
at which they can maintain steeple hurdling speed.
RESULTS
Oceania Championships - Christchurch, New Zealand
Women's Open 2000 Metre Steeple - 13 Dec 2002
1-Brooke Eddy, New Zealand 6:56.52; 2-Rina Dinsmore, Australia
7:19.16; 3-Rachel Pederson, Australia 8:00.16.
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New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships
Girls 1500m Steeplechase - 8 Dec 2002, Inglewood
HS=High School Coll=College, another form of secondary school
1-Renine Le Heron, Burnside HS 5:01.62; 2-Sarah Beresford,
Wellington HS 5:10.25; 3-Ashley Siddall, Kings Coll 5:14.92; 4-Julia
Lee, Tauranga Girls' Coll 5:20.24; 5-Dana Hastie, Newlands Coll 5:25.20;
6-Ashley Aitken, Napier Girls HS 5:28.01; 7-Anna Begg, St Hilda's Coll
5:30.40; 8-Andrea Smith, Tauranga Girls' Coll 5:35.08; 9-Mandy Vine,
Ruapehu Coll 5:35.54; 11-Stephanie Pearson, Rotorua Girls' HS 5:47.09;
12-Sarah Smith, Nga Tawa Coll 5:50.34; 13-Alex Pooch, Burnside HS 5:52.15;
14-Jamie Howie, Nga Tawa Coll 5:58.29; 15-Claire Berthelsen, Tauranga
Girls' Coll 6:01.76; 16-Becky Knight, St Margaret's Coll 6:03.69.
USATF RULES CHANGES
Three recent changes to the competition rules of USA Track & Field
should affect development of women and girls steeplechase. These actions
took place at the USATF annual meeting that ended 08 Dec 2002.
1. Shorten USA National Junior Championship Distance, Rule 10.2
The steeplechase distance for "Juniors" (under age 20 in year
of
competition) in their national championship was reduced from 3000 meters
to
2000 meters.
This matches the shorter distance now used for juniors in most of the
world; it is also the specified distance for women in the next World Junior
Championships to be held 13-18 July 2004 in Grosseto, Italy.
The USA Junior Championship steeple has so far been dominated by young
women from colleges. The 2003 meet will be in mid-June at Stanford University.
2. Recognize 1500-meter Steeple, Rule 81
A text description of 1500m steeple was added to support the 1500m
steeple layout illustration, in the USATF rulebook for years -- and earlier
in TAC rulebook, used to set up events such as the 17 July 1997 race at
Eugene, Oregon.
The 1500m steeple is also contested in other countries such as Canada,
Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden. New Zealand's Ellen Kemp,
at
age 11, seems to be the world's youngest in this event. Note: "Open"
division men in Europe also compete in 1500m steeplechase races.
3. Add Girls steeple to USA Youth & Junior Olympic meets, Rule 241
The steeplechase for girls was added to programs previously offering
the event only to boys. Two age divisions, 15-16 and 17-18, were affected.
USATF meeting voters considered two options: One proposed that girls
start steepling at 1500 meters; the other proposed 2000 meters, the boys
current distance used for many years -- even before USATF became a governing
body. For USATF girls in 2003, voters chose the 2000m option.
An expected, desirable effect of these changes is to enhance development
of
female steeplers by increased scheduling of shorter distance steeple races
for novices, youth, and other non-elite athletes.
SCHEDULE REQUEST
For the 2003 schedule issues of Steeple Report, published near the end
of each month, we seek announcements of any women and girls steeple races
that follow IAAF and USATF rules specifying a "unisex" 3.66m
(12 feet) water
jump. Our schedule has a special need for races open to unattached and
club
competitors, not just those representing schools.
Send us the meet name, date, venue, steeple race distance -- and start
time if known. Include entry information: fee if any, deadline date, plus
name and e-mail address of an entry contact person.
ROLLISON RECOVERING
Melissa Rollison, Australia's best-ever steepler and world-leading
junior, now lives in the new Sydney suburb of Newington -- the Olympic
Village in 2000. She suffered a stress fracture earlier this year but
has
now returned to training and is being coached by Said Aouita. No date
hs
been set for Rollison's return to racing.
THANKS to this issue's information providers:
Wayne Armbrust, Athletics Australia, John Blackburn, Graeme Ford, David
Tarbotton.
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