More Olympic action

Athletics captain Steve Hooker (WA) sailed over the bar on his first attempt at 5.50 metres on Day 12 of the London Olympics. Hooker then passed at 5.60 metres and then with the bar at 5.65m there were only 14 athletes left in qualifying so the athletes decided together that all athletes would progress to Friday night’s final on Day 14.

In the men’s 5000m, Australia had three runners in the heats: David McNeill (Vic) on Olympic debut and Collis Birmingham (Vic), who contested the event at Beijing 2008 were in the first heat and four-time Olympian Craig Mottram (Vic) was in the next.

In the first heat, McNeill, 25, was 13th in 13:45.88 and Birmingham 17th 13:50.39. Mottram pushed the pace in heat 2 and led through the first three kilometres in 8:07 before being dropped when the pace picked up. He finished 16th in his heat in 13:40.24.

Zoe Buckman (ACT) has clocked a new personal best in the women’s 1500 metres semi-finals, finishing 10th in 4:05.03 – a time that would have qualified her for the final if she ran in the other semi-final. The second Australian in the event, Victorian accountant Kaila McKnight (Vic), was 12th in her semi-final in a time of 4.08.44.

With thanks to the Australian Olympic Committee. More information at Athletics Australia.