He talked the talk and at the MCG on Wednesday night, Trinity College Old Boy, John Steffensen, (class of 1999) showed he could also walk the walk as he exploded away to win the men's 400 metres final and give Australia its first gold medal on the track in the 2006 CommonwealthGames.

This was the first success on the MCG track as Steffensen proved he is now a world class athlete after easily beating a high quality field. It was meant to be one of the most even track finals of the games but Steffensen's time of 44.73 seconds - a personal best - saw him win comfortably from Grenada's Alleyne Francique (45.09) with Jamaica's Jermaine Gonzales taking bronze in 45.16.

In the lead-up to the 2006 games, 23-year-old Steffensen said he wasn't in Melbourne to make up the numbers saying he was determined to win the 400 metres. It was a bold claim from the former long jumper from Perth, whose only previous major final was a last placing in the 400 metres final at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki, although he was also part of Australia's shock 4x400metres relay silver medal winning team in the 2004 Athens Olympics. But after looking in trouble down the back straight, Steffensen again exploded around the bend - as he had also done in the semi-finals - to set up a winning break coming into the home straight.

Afterwards he danced with delight during his lap of honour, much to the delight of a jubilant MCG crowd, who have clearly found themselves a new hero."People ask me if I am overconfident but if you prepare well you can do it," Steffensen said after the race."I knew I had done the work, I just said to myself 'this is my office', I now what I am doing, put my head down and let me run my own path."Steffensen said he hoped his victory, in one of the most competitive track events in world athletics, would serve as an inspiration to all young Australian hopefuls."Anybody can do it," he told Channel Nine immediately after his victory lap."We can do just as well as any nation at track and field if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself."

Image and text taken from ninemsn.sportal.com.au

John offered some coaching tips to the 2005 track team on his last visit to Perth.