Ben Offereins
Encyclopedia
Ben Offereins is an Australia
n athlete. Born in Sydney
, Australia, his family moved to Perth
in 1987. He has been running from a young age, starting out in little athletics and has progressed through to the senior ranks.
His first National title came in winning the 200m at the 2003 Under 18 Australian Championships where he also won the silver medal in the 100m.
He had his first major 400m win the next year at the Under 20 Australian Championships, which earned him a position on the Australian team for the IAAF World Junior Championships, in Grosetto, Italy in July 2004. He participated in the individual 400m as well as the 4x400m relay. In 2005 still as a junior he entered the openAustralian National Championships
for the 400m where he won the gold medal defeating 3 members of the Australian 4x400m relay team which won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The next few seasons saw Offereins plagued by injuries until June 2009 when he set a new personal best for the 400m of 45.69s, a World Championships B qualifier, which earned him the final position on the Australian 4x400m relay team for Berlin 2009. Running a sensational third leg during the heat (44.78s) Offereins forced his way into the team for the final where the Australian team of John Steffensen
, Ben Offereins, Tristan Thomas
, and Sean Wroe
, won the bronze medal for Australia.
In 2010 Ben started his season by winning the Australia Cup held in Canberra
in a new PB of 45.32sec, he then broke his PB again at the Sydney Track Classic running 44.86sec and becoming only the eighth Australian to break the 45.00sec barrier and the seventh fastest Australian alltime. He continued his form, winning the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic
in 45.73sec, and then the Australian National Championships in 45.17sec. This gained him automatic selection for the individual 400m and the 4x400 relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in Delhi, India. At the Athletics Australia
annual end of season awards night he was named the Male athlete of the year for the 2010 Australian Domestic season.
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 athlete. Born in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, his family moved to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1987. He has been running from a young age, starting out in little athletics and has progressed through to the senior ranks.
His first National title came in winning the 200m at the 2003 Under 18 Australian Championships where he also won the silver medal in the 100m.
He had his first major 400m win the next year at the Under 20 Australian Championships, which earned him a position on the Australian team for the IAAF World Junior Championships, in Grosetto, Italy in July 2004. He participated in the individual 400m as well as the 4x400m relay. In 2005 still as a junior he entered the openAustralian National Championships
Australian Championships in Athletics
The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games,...
for the 400m where he won the gold medal defeating 3 members of the Australian 4x400m relay team which won the silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The next few seasons saw Offereins plagued by injuries until June 2009 when he set a new personal best for the 400m of 45.69s, a World Championships B qualifier, which earned him the final position on the Australian 4x400m relay team for Berlin 2009. Running a sensational third leg during the heat (44.78s) Offereins forced his way into the team for the final where the Australian team of John Steffensen
John Steffensen
John William Steffensen is an Australian athlete, who specialises in 200 and 400 metres. His personal bests are 20.79 and 44.73....
, Ben Offereins, Tristan Thomas
Tristan Thomas
Tristan Thomas is an Australian athlete specialising in the 400 metres hurdles.Currently coached by Craig Hilliard at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, Thomas set personal bests at over a diverse range of distances and was nationally ranked over 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and...
, and Sean Wroe
Sean Wroe
Sean Wroe is an Australian sprinter. His personal best in the men's 400 metres is 45.17 ....
, won the bronze medal for Australia.
In 2010 Ben started his season by winning the Australia Cup held in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in a new PB of 45.32sec, he then broke his PB again at the Sydney Track Classic running 44.86sec and becoming only the eighth Australian to break the 45.00sec barrier and the seventh fastest Australian alltime. He continued his form, winning the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic
IAAF World Athletics Tour
The IAAF World Athletics Tour was an annual global circuit of one day athletics competitions organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations...
in 45.73sec, and then the Australian National Championships in 45.17sec. This gained him automatic selection for the individual 400m and the 4x400 relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in Delhi, India. At the Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia
Athletics Australia is the National Sporting Organisation recognised by the Australian Sports Commission for the sport of athletics in Australia....
annual end of season awards night he was named the Male athlete of the year for the 2010 Australian Domestic season.