Stenson & Batt-Doyle off to the Commonwealth Games

Jessica Stenson, Bib 965, and Isobel Batt Doyle, 1, have each been selected in Australia's 2022 Commonwealth Games team.

South Australia's Jessica Stenson and Isobel Batt-Doyle have been selected in Athletics Australia's team of 85 athletes to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in England.

The Commonwealth Games will take place in the city of Birmingham from July 28 to August 8. 

Stenson will run the Women's Marathon on July 30, in what will be her third Commonwealth Games, while Tokyo Olympian Batt-Doyle will run the Women's 10,000m on August 3 in what will be her debut Commonwealth Games. 

Stenson also competed in the Marathon at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Glasgow Games in 2014, winning a Bronze Medal in each of these experiences.

She has also represented Australia at two Olympic Games, including the 2016 Games in Rio and 2012 London Games, as well as the 2017 and 2013 World Athletics Championships.

In what will be her first Commonwealth Games since becoming a mother, the Hills Districts Athletics Club runner heads into next month's Marathon in form, having set a PB in her most recent outing across the distance - a 2:25:13 at the Perth Marathon in October last year. 

This effort was the fourth fastest Marathon run by an Australian woman.

"What makes this Commonwealth Games experience special is that it will be the first time I am representing Australia as a Mum," Stenson said.

"I have admired runners before me doing that and I always wondered what it would feel like, and with the lockdown situation last year (husband) Dylan and (Son) Billy couldn't travel to Perth so this (Birmingham Marathon) will be the first Marathon that Billy has watched me run.

"I hope to be able to draw some extra strength from that.

"With the World Champs and Comm Games being so close together, it's not possible to run the Marathon in both events, so we were asked to submit preferences. One thing that convinced me (on the Commonwealth Games) was that (Australians) Sinead Diver and Eloise Wellings were going to run the Comm Games."

"I have shared some special running experiences with both these women - I was Eloise's roommate at the 2017 World Champs, and she has been one of my 'running Mum' inspirations and have been on teams with Sinead in the past, so to run this event with them is great."

Having run at Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championship events over the past 10 years, the 34-year-old Stenson said she always got a lift from pulling the Australian gear on.

"When you pull on the green and gold there is something that lifts you through those challenging times in a Marathon - it's meaningful," she said. 

"The London Olympics feels like a long time ago, I remember my goal going into that Marathon was to just soak it up - soak up the experience and learn from the athletes around me, so my goal has shifted from 'lets just learn' to 'be there for the athletes around me' who may be here for the first time.

"I also want to take it to the next level from a performance perspective."

Batt-Doyle has also been listed as the reserve for the 5000m on August 7, the distance she ran in Tokyo last year.

The Flinders Athletic Club runner narrowly missed the 5000m qualifying time in her start at the 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships (running 15:10.97) in April, before jetting overseas for a training camp and races in the USA, UK and Europe (where she is currently based). 

Stenson said it was exciting to see Batt-Doyle's name on the teamsheet.

"It is great to have two South Australian long distance runners heading to the Games," she said. 

"I remember training with Izzi in 2016 when she was coming through the ranks, we did this one session together - she was so enthusiastic, she loved training and you could tell that you were going to see more of Izzi down the track."

Stenson and Batt-Doyle were added to the squad today along with 51 other athletes to make up the 85-strong team of Para and able-bodied athletes.

The Australian Athletics Team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games:

Women:
100m: Naa Anang Q, Ella Connolly Q, Bree Masters Q
100m T34: Sarah Clifton Bligh N, Robyn Lambird W, Rosemary Little N
100m T38: Rhiannon Clarke W, Indiana Cooper N, Ella Pardy W
200m: Riley Day Q, Jacinta Beecher Q, Ella Connolly Q
800m: Catriona Bisset V, Georgia Griffith, V
1500m: Abbey Caldwell V, Linden Hall V, Jessica Hull N
1500m T54: Angela Ballard A, Christie Dawes N, Madison de Rozario N
5000m: Rose Davies N, Jessica Hull N, Natalie Rule V
10,000m: Isobel Batt-Doyle S, Rose Davies N
100m Hurdles: Liz Clay Q, Michelle Jenneke Q, Celeste Mucci V
400m Hurdles: Sarah Carli, N
3000m Steeplechase: Amy Cashin V, Brielle Erbacher Q
10,000m Walk: Katie Hayward V, Rebecca Henderson V, Jemima Montag V
Discus: Taryn Gollshewsky Q
Discus F42-F44: Sarah Edmiston W
High Jump: Nicola Olyslagers N, Eleanor Patterson N
Javelin: Kelsey-Lee Barber Q, Mackenzie Little N, Kathryn Mitchell V
Long Jump: Brooke Buschkuehl V, Samantha Dale, N
Hammer Throw: Alexandra Hulley N
Heptathlon: Taneille Crase Q
Pole Vault: Nina Kennedy W
Shot Put F57: Julie Charlton N
Marathon: Sinead Diver V, Jessica Stenson S, Eloise Wellings N
Marathon T54: Dawes, de Rozario
4x100m Relay: Anang, Beecher, Connolly, Day, Masters, Mucci

Men:

100m:  Rohan Browning N, Jake Doran Q
100m T38: Evan O'Hanlon O/S
100m T47: Anthony Jordan V, Jaydon Page A
200m: Jake Doran Q
400m: Steve Solomon N
800m: Peter Bol W, Joseph Deng Q, Charlie Hunter N
1500m: Oliver Hoare N, Stewart McSweyn T, Matthew Ramsden W
1500m T54: Samuel Carter A, Jake Lappin A
5000m: Jack Rayner V, Matthew Ramsden W, Ky Robinson Q
10,000m: Jack Rayner V, Ky Robinson Q
110m Hurdles: Nick Hough N
3000m Steeplechase: Ben Buckingham V, Ed Trippas Q
10,000m Walk: Rhydian Cowley V, Kyle Swan V, Declan Tingay W
Decathlon: Cedric Dubler Q, Daniel Golubovic Q, Ash Moloney Q
Discus: Matthew Denny Q
High Jump: Brandon Starc N
Javelin: Cameron McEntyre N
Long Jump: Henry Frayne  Q, Chris Mitrevski V
Pole Vault: Angus Armstrong W, Kurtis Marschall W
Marathon: Liam Adams V, Andrew Buchanan V, Jack Rayner V
Marathon T54: Jake Lappin A
Triple Jump: Julian Konle Q
4x100m Relay: Joshua Azzopardi, Browning, Jacob Despard T, Doran, Jack Hale T, Mitrevski

Athletics Australia  CEO Peter Bromley welcomed today’s team announcement, highlighting the significance for the sport in Australia.
 
“I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of our athletes selected today for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games,” Bromley told Athletics Australia.
 
“It’s a huge honour to represent Australia, especially at the Commonwealth Games as the only opportunity our athletes have to compete in an integrated team. This team is an incredibly strong one, and we look forward to seeing how they fare against the best in the Commonwealth after topping the medal tally at home on the Gold Coast four years ago.
 
“I know the entire country will be watching and cheering on and I wish them every success.”

Birmingham's Alexander Stadium has undergone a £72m ($128m) renovation to host the athletics competition and the opening and closing ceremonies at Birmingham 2022, transforming the venue from a 12,700 capacity stadium to around 30,000 spectators.

Read the full team announcement story on the Athletics Australia website

By Commonwealth Games Australia, Athletics Australia and Athletics SA
Posted:  28/6/2022