Isaac Dunmall achieves his mission with victory in the Open 70m at the Bay Sheffield carnival

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QUEENSLANDER Isaac Dunmall has accomplished his Bay Sheffield carnival mission with victory in the Open 70m and is unlikely to back up in the Gift at Colley Reserve on Friday.

Based in Victoria for the past 18 months, Dunmall had targeted the short sprint “all year” and he achieved his goal with a sizzling performance on Thursday night.

But the 2016 Stawell Gift champion said he had a tight handicap in the 120m Gift and would probably not run in the state’s richest footrace.

“This (70m) is the race I have wanted t win all year and I’m stoked with the result,” Dunmall said. “I knew I had to run at my best in the final and had to step up.

“This is what I came here for, this is unbelievable.”

Dunmall changed coaches 18 months ago and moved to Melbourne to immerse himself in the professional running community.

Darren Whittaker finished second with 16-year old Sasha Zhoya, who won the 70 and Gift double last year, an impressive third from the backmark of 1m.

The shock of the men’s 70m was Olympian Josh Ross pulling up in his semi-final because of a groin issue. The Victorian is still hopeful of contesting the Gift.

Ross created history in 2012 as the only winner of the Gift from a scratch handicap.

Sophie Watts continued the amazing success of WA runners at the carnival in recent years with victory in the women’s 70m, beating Tayla Philis and Ebony Lane.

Watts, who won the 70m at the Bunbury in March, said the win will fuel her confidence for the women’s 120m Gift on Friday.

South Australian sprinter Harrison Hunt, the runner-up in the men’s Gift in 2017, has been well backed to be the first runner to claim the prestigious sprint the year after finishing second.

The women’s final is at 5.30pm with the men’s race 15 minutes later.