Damien Marsh
Encyclopedia
Damien Marsh is a former Australia
n 100 metre and 200 metre sprint champion.
A native of Goondiwindi, Queensland
, Marsh finest moment as a sprinter was winning the 1995 IAAF Grand Prix Final
in Monaco
in a time of 10.13, defeating a field of the world's top sprinters. This bettered his own Australian national record of 10.16 set in July 1994 is Oslo
. He had broken Gerard Keating
's national record (of 10.22) in February 1993 in Melbourne with a time of 10.19. He also ran a personal best 20.32 in Monaco.
Weeks earlier to running 10.13, Marsh led Australia to a silver medal in the 4X100m sprint relay in a national record time of 38.17 at the 1995 IAAF World Championships
. Marsh narrowly missed out in reaching the 100m final with a 9th best 10.20 time in the event semi-finals. He finished 1995 ranked 9th in the world in the 200m. After suffering a ruptured achilles tendon
injury during training for the 1996 Athens Olympics
however, he never returned to such world-class form.
Marsh 8th in the final of the 1993 World Championships
200m event with a time of 20.56. He finished 5th in the 200m at the 1994 Goodwill Games
with the same time. He won the Australian men's open athletics championships 100m event in 1994 with a time of 10.39 and in 1996 with a 10.43. He was 1993 and 1998 200m champion as well with a wind-aided 20.29 and 21.34 respectively.
He also competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and ranked 9th in the World for his 100m sprint. Running almost a 9. What a boss.
that Australian 4 x 100m record was actually set in the semi of the Gothenburg (IAAF world champs 1995) meet
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 100 metre and 200 metre sprint champion.
A native of Goondiwindi, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Marsh finest moment as a sprinter was winning the 1995 IAAF Grand Prix Final
IAAF Grand Prix Final
The IAAF Grand Prix Final was an athletics competition featuring track and field events staged by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
in a time of 10.13, defeating a field of the world's top sprinters. This bettered his own Australian national record of 10.16 set in July 1994 is Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. He had broken Gerard Keating
Gerard Keating
Gerard Keating is a former Australian 100 metre sprinter.Originally from Ballarat, Victoria, he was a champions junior sprinter and won the Australian 100 metre champion in 1986. In 1981 he competed at the Pacific Conference Games where he finished 4th in the 100 metres, and took the silver with...
's national record (of 10.22) in February 1993 in Melbourne with a time of 10.19. He also ran a personal best 20.32 in Monaco.
Weeks earlier to running 10.13, Marsh led Australia to a silver medal in the 4X100m sprint relay in a national record time of 38.17 at the 1995 IAAF World Championships
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
. Marsh narrowly missed out in reaching the 100m final with a 9th best 10.20 time in the event semi-finals. He finished 1995 ranked 9th in the world in the 200m. After suffering a ruptured achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury during training for the 1996 Athens Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
however, he never returned to such world-class form.
Marsh 8th in the final of the 1993 World Championships
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
200m event with a time of 20.56. He finished 5th in the 200m at the 1994 Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
with the same time. He won the Australian men's open athletics championships 100m event in 1994 with a time of 10.39 and in 1996 with a 10.43. He was 1993 and 1998 200m champion as well with a wind-aided 20.29 and 21.34 respectively.
He also competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and ranked 9th in the World for his 100m sprint. Running almost a 9. What a boss.
Personal bests
- 100 metres100 metresThe 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
- 10.13 (1995) - 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
- 20.32 (1995)
that Australian 4 x 100m record was actually set in the semi of the Gothenburg (IAAF world champs 1995) meet
Sources
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2000 Olympics profile page
- www.gbrathletics.com
- Athletics Australia page with Marsh's career stats
- Northern Territory Athletics a page showing progression of the Australian national 100m record