Sport
6 January, 2026
Hoffman takes 70 m crown
Less than 30 milliseconds separated Lilliana Hoffman from ultimate glory or bitter disappointment. However, highland fortune favoured Hoffman on New Year’s Day, winning the 70 m women’s final by a whisker.
The final participants were very evenly matched, with the gap between first and eighth at the finish line only three tenths of a second.
Among those fine margins, Hoffman managed to edge out the competition with a final time of 8.607, 24 milliseconds quicker than backmarker Ellie Whittingham in second.
“I wasn’t expecting it, so it’s pretty special. It’s only my third Victorian meet, so I’m really happy,” Hoffman said.
“It does make it a lot sweeter. I haven’t had a sash in two years.”
Hoffman’s heroics in the final were the pinnacle of an outstanding performance throughout the day, gradually improving in every pressure-mounting stage.
Scheduled into a stacked final heat, Hoffman finished third behind Olivia Barry and Whittingham, advancing as one of the fastest racers who ended their heat outside the top two.
Less than 30 minutes later, Hoffman was back in the blocks, this time getting the better of Whittingham to book her place in the final with a win in the second semi-final.
With a mark of 4.25 m, Hoffman started with the majority of the field ahead of her, including Andrea Hearne and Clea Clifford at 5.25 m.
Right at the death, Hoffman passed Hearne and Clifford to record a time 0.13 quicker than her semi-final mark despite a stronger headwind during the winner-takes-all race.
With more experience racing on a level playing field in track events, Hoffman said it’s always an exciting challenge trying to chase down her fellow sprinters.
“I do a lot of track and the Victorian Athletics League is just like a fun little hobby. It’s a new atmosphere, I’m racing against different people,” she said.
“It’s just fun being able to chase people down from the back.”