Eight Aussie athletes posted Commonwealth Games A-qualifiers at the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic last night, including Ben St Lawrence in the men’s 5000 metres and Ryan Gregson in the 800 metres.

World champions Steve Hooker (pole vault) and Dani Samuels (discus throw) joined Kim Mickle (javelin throw), Liam Zamel-Paez (high jump), Jarrod Bannister (javelin throw) and Chris Noffke (long jump) to secure the coveted A-qualifying standard as the countdown to Delhi rolls on.

In a 1500 metre line-up billed the best assembled in Australia since the 1956 Olympic Games, Victorian young gun Jeff Riseley stormed home in 3:42.70, taking the honours over Asbel Kiprop (KEN, 3:43.33) and Beijing silver medallist Nick Willis (NZL, 3:43.67).

“Any time you beat the Olympic champion and the Olympic silver medallist is pretty phenomenal,” Riseley said.

But it was Kenyan superstar David Rudisha who produced the performance of the night clocking 1:43.15 – the fastest time over 800 metres ever recorded on Australian soil.

“I came to Australia expecting to run a fast time… I knew I was going to run 1:43 and that’s what I did. I did what I came here to do,” Rudisha said.

Meanwhile veteran sprinter Patrick Johnson, 37, proved he still has it, clocking 10.42 in the 100 metres and 21.11 in the Peter Norman Memorial 200 metres.

For more information visit Athletics Australia.

TO BE SURE: Irish runner Mary Cullen wins the women's 5000 metres in 15.27.75.