Ryan Gregson
Australian middle-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ryan Gregory Gregson (born 26 April 1990)[4] is an Australian middle-distance runner. He formerly held the Australian record for the men's 1500 metres now held by Stewart McSweyn.[5]
Gregson at the 2016 Olympics | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 26 April 1990 Wollongong, Australia |
| Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)[1] |
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track |
Event(s) | 1500 meters, mile |
| Club | Kembla Joggers NSWIS[1] Melbourne Track Club |
| Coached by | Nic Bideau[2] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 800 meters: 1:46.04[3] 1500 meters: 3:31.06[3] Mile: 3:52.24[3] |
| Updated on 4–24–15 | |
Personal life
Gregson studied carpentry at TAFE NSW in Wollongong and has a degree in business and marketing from the Swinburne University of Technology. As a teenager he competed nationally in cricket and field hockey. His is married to Olympic runner Genevieve Gregson (née LaCaze)[6] and his cousin Casey Sablowski is an Olympic field hockey player.[7]
Running career
Youth
Gregson finished 5th in the boys' 1500 metres at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Ostrava.[8] Later that year, he set new Australian youth records over 1500 metres, 3000 metres and 5000 metres, his 3000m clocking of 8:01.26 also eclipsing Craig Mottram's Australian junior record.[9][10] At the 2008 World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz he again finished 5th over 1500 metres and also participated in the 5000 metres.[4] In 2009, his last year as a junior, he set new Australian junior records over both 3000 and 1500 metres, with times of 7:57.45 and 3:37.24 respectively.[10]
2009–present
Gregson finished 4th in the 1500 metres at the 2009 Summer Universiade in Belgrade, Serbia, missing out on medaling by only 0.22 seconds.[11] Gregson also qualified for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, where he again competed in the 1500 metres and was eliminated in the heats.[4][12]
He captured his first national senior title at the 2010 Australian Championships in Athletics, out-sprinting World Championships semi-finalist Jeff Riseley to win the 1500 metres.[13] Gregson's first appearance in IAAF's brand-new Diamond League was at Eugene's Prefontaine Classic on 3 July, where he won the second-tier International Mile.[14][15]
Gregson next appeared in a Diamond League race on 24 July, in the Herculis meet at Fontvieille, Monaco. He improved his personal best over 1500 metres by more than four seconds to 3:31.06 and finished 5th, beating among others former World Champion and Olympic medalist Bernard Lagat and breaking Simon Doyle's 19-year-old Australian and Oceanian record.[16][17] He missed the 2010 Commonwealth Games in October due to a stress fracture to his foot.[18] He did not progress past the first round at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and finished in 9th at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[19][20]
Gregson was eliminated in the semi-finals of the Olympic 1500 m event in 2012,[21] while at the 2016 Olympics he placed ninth in the final. Gregson was the first Australian man in a 1500 meters final in 40 years.
