Shot putter Birkinhead eyes Aussie record

Shot putter Damien Birkinhead threw a career-best marker of 21.21 metres to move him into second on the Australian All-Time list at the Briggs Classic athletics meet.

Birkinhead's throw was just five centimetres shy of the national record held by his coach Scott Martin.

The monster throw would have seen the 22-year-old place fourth at the London 2012 Olympic Games and continues the strong start to his summer after hurling a then career best and Olympic standard of 20.80m in Christchurch last week.

In other field results Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Hamish Peacock threw 80.12m in the final round to take victory in the men's javelin.

On track, Ryan Gregson bettered his own meet record to win the men's 1500m in a time of 3:36.73 from rising middle distance star Luke Mathews.

Gregson's result was 0.73 secs outside of the Rio 2016 standard.

Jack Hale clocked a best of 10.55 secs to win both his 100m starts while the women's 5000m was won by Genevieve LaCaze in a personal best time of 15:41.74.

Meanwhile London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Mitchell Watt returned to the long jump runway for the first time in more than two years.

Competing at the Don Kirby Invitational, an indoor meet in Albuquerque New Mexico, Watts won with a best leap of 7.83m.

Watt has relocated to Phoenix, Arizona to work with renowned coach Dan Pfaff alongside Australian teammate Fabrice Lapierre.