{"id":824068,"date":"2026-07-26T02:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/824068\/"},"modified":"2026-07-26T02:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-26T02:24:15","slug":"awkward-selection-drama-wont-derail-aussie-sprinters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/824068\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Awkward’ selection drama won’t derail Aussie sprinters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rohan Browning has put the Commonwealth Games track selection drama in the rear vision mirror as he seeks to spearhead Australia’s sprint charge in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old former national champion was picked alongside current title holder Lachie Kennedy and Kiwi defector Eddie Nketia in a three-pronged 100m assault.<\/p>\n

It begins on Monday at Scotstoun Stadium, with the men’s 100m heats among the first events on the Games athletics program before nine finals are contested in the evening session.<\/p>\n

Australia’s 100m selection call sparked a challenge from Josh Azzopardi, whose appeal heard by the National Sports Tribunal was ultimately unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

Azzopardi said he felt “absolutely robbed” by the decision, but hoped it wouldn’t dent the mood in an Australian camp eyeing unprecedented track success at the Games.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Australia has no shortage of depth in the men’s 100m, even without a hamstrung Gout Gout. (Susie Dodds\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

It appears there are no hard feelings from Browning, who is adamant the saga hasn’t dampened his relationship with Azzopardi.<\/p>\n

The pair are both part of Australia’s five-man 4x100m relay squad in Glasgow, and worked together at training camps in Italy and Spain in the lead-up to the Games.<\/p>\n

“The nature of going through an appeal process can make this feel a little personal, but ultimately it’s not,” Browning told AAP.<\/p>\n

“This sport is zero-sum, and Josh and I are trying to make a living out of it. I respect his right to appeal and I certainly respect his opinion.<\/p>\n

“We had a conversation and both decided – before the appeal process was even over – to just compartmentalise the individual event and the relay.<\/p>\n

“So I’d say the team culture has been good. We’ve spent a lot of time around each other and with each other.<\/p>\n

“I would say it’s all in the past. It’s just one of those awkward things.”<\/p>\n

\"Rohan<\/p>\n

Rohan Browning and Josh Azzopardi had an honest conversation about the selection brouhaha. (Joel Carrett\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

The men’s and women’s 4x100m relay finals, among the most keenly anticipated events at any Games, will take place on the final day of the athletics program.<\/p>\n

Browning and Azzopardi join Kennedy, Calab Law and Christopher Ius in the men’s 4x100m relay squad, with Nketia on stand-by.<\/p>\n

Teen sensation Gout Gout is absent, having first decided to prioritise the under-20 world championships over the Games before sustaining a significant hamstring injury.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

In terms of medals on offer, nothing rivals athletics at this Commonwealth Games. (Susie Dodds\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

“Our chances are legitimately very strong and the team wants to win it,” Browning said.<\/p>\n

“In the sprint events the Commonwealth is very strong. A lot of the world’s best are still there and a lot of the relay teams are very strong.<\/p>\n

“But we want to win it and I like our chances.”<\/p>\n

Browning was dethroned as 100m national champion by Kennedy in April, when the 22-year-old became the first Australian man to break 10 seconds on home soil.<\/p>\n

Browning admits he’s had an “up and down” season under new coach Jack Edwards, after parting ways with long-time mentor Andrew Murphy last August.<\/p>\n

\"Rohan<\/p>\n

Rohan Browning is confident his team can win the 4x100m relay. (Joel Carrett\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

“We’ve changed things up. I’m a bit better out of the blocks but maybe I’ve been a little bit down at the top end,” Browning said.<\/p>\n

“I’m hoping to piece it all together when it counts.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been around the block, you know, so I feel like somebody who responds well to the stress of competition.<\/p>\n

“It’s an environment that brings out the best in me, so I’m hoping that it all clicks quite naturally.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rohan Browning has put the Commonwealth Games track selection drama in the rear vision mirror as he seeks…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":824069,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[143628,397995,397994,64,63,397996,16742,299543,360851,291957,44,104391],"class_list":["post-824068","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-4x100m-relay","tag-appeal-process","tag-athletics-program","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-azzopardi","tag-commonwealth-games","tag-eddie-nketia","tag-josh-azzopardi","tag-lachie-kennedy","tag-news","tag-rohan-browning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=824068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/824068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/824069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=824068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=824068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=824068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}