Alex Hartmann, a former student of Aspley State High School, is ready to take on his personal goal of beating the national record for the 200m sprint at the Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games is certainly important for the Rio Olympian as he aims to beat Peter Norman’s 1968 record of 20.06 seconds on the 200m sprint. Hartmann’s hard work on training has paid off as he set a remarkable 20.57 seconds run into a -2.1m headwind claiming his fourth consecutive title on the 200m event. He said that had the wind turned around to be in his favour, it would have resulted in something incredible.
Credit: Facebook/Alex Hartmann
Hartmann’s fourth 200m Australian title is only one title behind Peter Norman’s national record in the event. His latest win in the trials motivated him to give his best run in the coming Commonwealth Games.
Post Rio Olympic Struggles
Hartmann admittedly said that he had a bit of a mental struggle after his disappointing run in the Rio Olympics last 2016. He said that his inability to meet his expectations crushed him a bit. Luckily, with the help of his supportive team, he was able to re-focus and get over his personal struggles despite taking 12 months of recovery.
Hartmann is definitely in great shape now and is in the right direction to fulfil his goal of making it to the top of the national records in the 200m event. His coach, Travis Venema, believes that with the way he trains, he has the potential to do it, but only time will tell.
Humble Beginnings
“Sprinting always has and always will be my passion.”
Hartmann’s passion for sprinting dates back to when he won his first race in preschool. Throughout his school age, Hartmann was always on the lookout for competitions but was often beaten by kids who had more training from private schools.
Things started to change when he met Travis Venema in 2009. Hartmann was 16 years old when he started training with Venema and after a few months, he was able to outrun the kids who used to defeat him in the previous years.
In his final year as a junior, with only three years of training, Hartmann was able to compete at the national level. On his first run in the Australian Junior National Championships, he placed fourth in the 100m sprint and third in the 200m event. His winnings qualified him to be part of the Australian 4x100m relay team that was competing for the IAAF World Junior Championships.
Hartmann’s winning streak in the 200m events started in 2015. He bagged his first title in Brisbane when he clocked 20.67 seconds on the Commonwealth Games last 29 March 2015.
By 2016, his second winning in the Commonwealth Games’ 200m sprint that has a record of 20.46 seconds earned him a spot in the at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Despite the unfavourable results of his Olympic run, he managed to defend his title in the 200m event in 2017 and this year, he earned his fourth title with his best run to date.
Hartmann is positive that with the help of all the things he and his coach have been working on, the best is yet to come for the hardworking sprinter.
Event Schedules
Aside from the 200m event, Hartmann is also competing in the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay. Watch as Hartmann try to beat the Australian record for the 200m event in the Commonwealth Games on the following schedules.
| Men’s 200m | Tuesday, 10 April 2018 |
| Heat 1 – 1:05 p.m.
Heat 2 – 1:12 p.m. Heat 3 – 1:19 p.m. Heat 4 – 1:26 p.m. Heat 5 – 1:33 p.m. Heat 6 – 1:40 p.m. Heat 7 – 1:47 p.m. Heat 8 – 1:54 p.m. Heat 9 – 2:01 p.m. Heat 10 – 2:08 p.m. Wednesday, 11 April 2018 Semifinal 1 – 8:50 p.m. Semifinal 2 – 8:58 p.m. Semifinal 3 – 9:06 p.m. Thursday, 12 April 2018 Final – 9:56 p.m. |
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| Men’s 4 x 100m Relay | Friday, 13 April 2018 |
| Heat 1 – 11:05 a.m.
Heat 2 – 11:14 a.m. Heat 3 – 11:23 a.m. Saturday, 14 April 2018 Final – 2:40 p.m. |
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All athletics events will be held at the Carrara Stadium Track in Gold Coast. Plan your route to the venue with the help of the official Journey Planner from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
