Athletics

Born: 12 March 1986

Birth Place: Sydney, Australia

Resides: Sydney, Australia

Height: 184cm

Sydney-born sprinter Ben Offereins was touted as the country’s next big-thing when in 2005, still as a junior, he claimed the national 400m title.

Injuries robbed him of a chance to build on that success, but the Mandurah/Rockingham runner refused to lay down and he emerged from a turbulent period better than ever, making a late qualification for Australia’s 4x400m team for the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. The titles were the making of him as Offereins put in the run of his life to rescue the team from last place, lifting it into the final, before replicating the sprint to help the men win Australia’s first world relay medal with bronze.

Offereins held his form and remained unbeaten throughout the domestic season that followed, clinching the 2010 national title and marking a new personal best of 44.86sec – the seventh fastest time by an Australian in history.

Offereins competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, finishing seventh in the 400m and helping the Australians to gold in the relay. He became an Olympian in London in 2012 as part of the relay team.

Offereins has now taking his talents to the role of competition manager at Athletics NSW.