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Women's Steeple
a weekly newsletter by James Fields
3/7/00 Report
Melissa Rollison, 16,
has World Junior Record
The first world record set at Sydney's Stadium Australia, site of the 2000 Olympic Games, was in the women's steeplechase! On 25 Feb 2000 Australia's Melissa Rollison, age 16, ran the 3000-meter steeple in 10 minutes 10.73 seconds -- a new world junior record for women under age 20. (More in 26 Feb 2000 Steeple Report)
Last week the IAAF website showed Courtney Pugmire of USA holding the record with her 10:23.47 on 23 June 96 at the USA Olympic Trials in Atlanta. This week Rollison is shown as the new record holder.
Now it's time to learn more about this young world class steepler and her record race at the recent Australian national championships -- thanks to material shared with us by Peter Kehoe, Graham Thomas, and Ewen Thompson. For openers, we learned Rollison might have run even faster, but she is tiny and tripped on the final water jump barrier. She is 5 feet 1 inch tall (1.55 meters) and weighs 100 pounds (46 kilograms).
Rollison does no hurdling; she steps on all 35 barriers in the 3000-meter race -- as does Marie Davis at University of Oregon who had the fastest legal time for a USA collegian last year. These two may change some ideas about female steepling. Rollison had quality competition in her record race.
Leah Rogers was second in 10:16.01 and Karen Murphy placed third in 10:21.48 -- both personal bests. Yet Rollison built a solid lead in the closing laps and was under little pressure. But suddenly "she was flat on her face in the water and I reckon she lost at least five seconds - and maybe ten - due to this mishap, " says Graham Thomas.
Brian Chapman, Melissa's coach, believes she fell "because she came across a lapped runner in the water as she came to the barrier, and dropped into the water in the deeper section, her momentum carrying her forward, resulting her in her almost total immersion," reports Peter Kehoe. Chapman has suggested to Melissa that she "needs to be more aware of the possibility of coming across lapped runners." That makes a strong case for see-through hurdles instead of solid barriers that obscure vision of the water ahead.
Chapman has said Rollison "has the potential to be a world class athlete in the seniors" and she would aim to represent Australia at the 2001 Goodwill Games in Brisbane where the women's steeple will be conducted as it was at 1998 Goodwill in New York and St. Petersburg in 1994.
Rollison's international competition this year may be in the World Junior Championships at Santiago, Chile, where she may run in a flat race. But first she must do well in the Olympic Games/World Junior trials to be held 16-19 August during Australia's winter. She has quality times, the most recent a 4:19.55 in the 1500 meters. Last October she ran 800 meters in 2:07.58 and 3000 meters in 9:40.85.
Rollison began training, though not seriously, at age 11 in August 1994, using three interval sessions weekly with no training on other days. A year ago at age 15 she started training daily, continuing her three interval sessions per week, plus jogs on the other days. None of her training is done in spikes or on a [hard] synthetic track.
Strategy and tactics have not been significant. In preparing for her first big steeple race, in early 1999 against Mary Fien who has run 10:20.48, Rollison said "I don't have much of a race plan, I just try to run at an even pace at the start and hope that I have enough left at the end to sprint to the finish line. I really just try to win."
Melissa lives in South Tweed, Queensland; and is affiliated with the Victory Sports Track Club. In national competitions she represents the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) as she holds a current scholarship with this body. The QAS is a satellite of the Australian Institute of Sport and provides support for elite athletes.
An article last year in the magazine "Australian Athlete" (editor Terry O'Halloran) let fans know more about the personal side of this teenage star. Melissa also enjoys rollerblading, swimming, and tennis. Her favorite foods are lasagna and pasta; her least favorite is spinach. Her favorite TV shows are "Ally McBeal" and "Friends." Go to http://www.geocities.com/ewen_99/a_meliss.jpg on the world wide web to see a photo of Melissa Rollison provided by Ewen Thompson.
The Steeple Report by James Fields has been distributed free via internet since Spring 1996 as a volunteer service. Send news, and messages including additions or revisions for the mailing list, to paradocs@esper.com.
