Due to a strong thunderstorm, Olympic finalist Peter Bol finished second in the 1,000-meter invitational handicap race at the Stawell Gift Carnival.
Jack Lacey and Chloe Mannix-Power received the Stawell Gift for their surf lifesaving and Australian rules football skills despite bad weather and a two-hour delay.
World War II and the COVID-19 pandemic only forced the discontinuation of the handicap race in 2020. The 2024 finals may reschedule to Tuesday due to strong thunderstorms in and around Stawell on Monday.
“What a great event, but crazy weather,” Bol remarked after finishing fourth in the 800 meters at the Tokyo Olympics. I never again ran in the rain as a kid after that. Riley, fantastic job. Just too much labor followed the previous turn. He was too strong for me to overcome.
After the lunchtime Central Park Gift semifinals, it started to rain a lot. Bol overcame a slow start to finish the 1000-meter invitational handicap race just behind Bryce.
Lightning delayed the show by more than two hours, but the two feature finals might air during a brief break at 4.30 p.m.
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The victor of the men’s race, Lacey (9.5m), overcame both pre-event favorite Endale Mekonnen (12.33) and backmarker Jake Ireland (12.28).
Lacey, 26, said, “I was quite happy with the conditions because it’s a strength of mine to run into a bit of rain.” Even though the track is still challenging, it held up rather well. They worked really hard to arrange that for us. I enjoy the rain because of football.
In 2009, Lacey, then eleven years old, made his Stawell debut when his older brother Max took first place in the novice 400-meter run and backmarkers.
“It’s great that I got tacked on,” declared the Melbourne runner, who intended to use the $40,000 award to cover his rent. “I adore this sport. I just kept going.”
Mannix-Power, the recipient of the Women’s Gift, felt more at home than Lacey on Monday because of the drama and the rain.
Comparing it to surf lifesaving, the Queenslander brought home a second Stawell for her coach, Brett Robinson. Show up organized but without a plan in mind.
We were successful. Rain is what we begged for, and rightfully so. similar to running down the coast.
In 13.42, Mannix-Power, 23, defeated Jemma Pollard (13.54) and Chloe Kinnersley (13.53) to win the 4.25-meter backmark. Two years earlier, Robinson had pushed her to compete.
She suddenly recalled what he had said: “We’re not quitting because we can do some things together.” During our last visit, I couldn’t stop thinking, “I wish I could win one of those.” It was Robbo who said, “Let’s win one.”
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