Australia's best athletes headed for Adelaide

Australia’s best athletes from the school level through to the elite are set to return to South Australia, with Athletics Australia confirming Adelaide as the host of the 2022 Australian All Schools Championships and the 2024 Australian Track and Field Championships.

This will be the first time since 1991 that Adelaide will host an Australian Track and Field Championships, and this year’s Australian All Schools Championships will be the first to be held since the pandemic began.  

Athletics Australia CEO Peter Bromley said he was delighted to bring national level athletics to fans of the sport in South Australia, particularly after the performances seen over the weekend at the 2022 Chemist Warehouse Adelaide Invitational.

“Over the weekend we saw some of our best athletes descend upon SA Athletics Stadium and we know that the track will be the perfect backdrop for two of our biggest national events,” Bromley said.

“The Australian Track and Field Championships is by far the highlight of our Australian Summer of Athletics, but what makes it more exciting is that the Championships in 2024 will double as the nomination trials for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Before that, we’ll be flying back south again for the Australian All Schools Championships – an event which has produced some of our best athletes. We’re particularly thrilled to bring the Australian All Schools Championships to Adelaide this year, as it marks the first edition of the meet since 2019 after the previous two were cancelled due to Covid-19.

“We’d like to thank the South Australian Government and the South Australian Tourism Commission for their collaboration and support in bringing two national level events to Adelaide, and we have every intention to deliver the best events for the Australian athletics community and the South Australian public alike.”

Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, Corey Wingard welcomed the return of track and field to South Australia.

“It’s terrific for South Australia to host our world-class athletes at a world-class venue, and in particular to see some of the emerging Olympians do battle later this year and then again in 2024 in the lead up to the Paris Olympics,” he said.

“We saw the excitement of people watching Peter Bol, Rohan Browning, Riley Day and Jaryd Clifford at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics – just to name a few – so it’s great to welcome the best back to Adelaide.”

Athletics South Australia CEO Shane Fuller echoed Wingard’s comments, stating:

“Athletics SA is excited to be part of hosting the Championships in South Australia on what will be a brand new blue track come the end of the year.

“Doing so will allow us to boost engagement with schools, athletics clubs, coaches and officials and continue the growth of the sport in our State. We believe that having our athletes competing alongside and seeing Australia’s best athletes perform in person will inspire South Australia’s current crop of emerging athletes.”

More information about the 2022 Australian All Schools Championships will be made available later this year.