Australian Athletics Championships: Day Three Preview
The third day of the 2026 Australian Athletics Championships takes place this Saturday in Sydney. The schedule features finals in the men's and women's 100m, 400m, and pole vault, alongside a full program of para-athletics competitions. Broadcast coverage will be available on 7plus and Channel 7.
📺 Broadcast Information
Day Three will be broadcast on 7plus from 4:00pm to 7:00pm AEST, switching to Channel 7 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm AEST. Full entry lists and timetables are available on the Australian Athletics website.
🏃♂️ Men's 100m Final
The marquee event features a historic showdown. Lachlan Kennedy (QLD) qualified for the final with a time of 9.96 seconds (+0.2 wind), which organizers noted was the first time an Australian man has broken 10 seconds on home soil. He will face defending champion Rohan Browning (NSW), who won the 2025 title in 10.01 seconds.
"I thought objectively the heat had the best conditions, so I hit it harder than I normally would... I want to go out there and win obviously, but I reckon I can go faster," said Lachlan Kennedy.
🏃♀️ Women's 100m
Georgia Harris and Zara Hagan, both from Queensland, were the fastest qualifiers for the semi-finals.
⛏️ Pole Vault
Reigning Olympic champion Nina Kennedy (WA) headlines the women's pole vault. She enters the competition in strong form, having won the Maurie Plant Meet last month with a clearance of 4.72 meters. Kennedy also holds the championship record of 4.75m.
♿ Para-Athletics Events
A strong field of Paralympic stars will compete, with events using the BASELINE system to determine winners.
- Chad Perris (ACT, T13) and Rhiannon Clarke (WA, T38) are among the scheduled competitors.
- Other contenders include Paralympic medallist Mali Lovell (NSW, T36) and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jaydon Page (ACT, T47).
In the Men's 800m Wheelchair (T54), Sam Carter (ACT) will race after winning the 100m wheelchair event the previous day. He holds the Australian record of 1:31.33 for the 800m.
🪃 Women's Javelin Throw
World Championships teammates will duel in the javelin. World bronze medallist Mackenzie Little (NSW) brings a personal best of 66.27 meters, while teammate Lianna Davidson (NSW) has a best of 63.79m.
👟 Men's 5000m
Defending champion Seth O'Donnell (VIC) returns to a stacked field. He will face Maurie Plant Meet 3000m champion Jackson Sharp (NSW), Cameron Myers (ACT)—who recently set a record in the 1500m—and Jude Thomas (VIC).
🦘 Men's High Jump
The high jump features a trio of top Australian talents. Olympian Yual Reath (VIC, career-best 2.30m) and Roman Anastasios (VIC, 2.25m) are entered. Brandon Starc (NSW) is also entered to compete for the first time this year.
🔁 400m Finals
The one-lap finals are set after the heats:
- Men's Final: Luke Van Ratingen (NSW) and Reece Holder (QLD) led the qualifying times.
- Women's Final: Jemma Pollard (NSW) and Alexia Loizou (VIC) posted the fastest qualifying times.
This information was compiled from official announcements by Australian Athletics, posted on November 4, 2026.