Rodrigues Chico, 20, only switched his attention to athletics midway through last year after falling out of love with soccer.
After winning the Hastings Gift in November, Rodrigues Chico and his coach Tom Morehouse reset their goals and took aim at the pinnacle of Australian professional running.
The motor mechanic soared to outright Gift favouritism when he was the only man to break the 12-second barrier in Saturday’s heats.
His winning time of 12.11 seconds off a 7m mark in yesterday’s final was not quite as spectacular, but it was still good enough to relegate Sydneysider Leonard King (12.24) and Melbourne’s Jason Bailey (12.25) to the minor placings.
‘‘I’ve done everything right leading up to it,’’ Rodrigues Chico, who was born in the Indian city of Goa and then spent eight years in New Zealand before moving to Australia at the age of 10, said.
‘‘I’ve sacrificed a lot and with the outcome I couldn’t be happier.
‘‘Hopefully there is a lot more to improve on — I’ve still got my start to work on and technically as well.
‘‘I’m only a year into the sport, so I’ve got a lot more to work on.’’
Among those sacrifices was a conscious decision to rein in his social life.
‘‘This season all my mates turned 21 and I just drove to every event so I wouldn’t drink,’’ Rodrigues Chico said.
‘‘No late nights for me.
‘‘I just tried to keep my sleeping pattern and my rhythm and routine all the same leading up to this race.
‘‘I didn’t want to change anything at the last minute.’’
Joshua Ross’ history-making bid for a third Stawell Gift title ended when he was run out in the semi-finals.
Ross, 38, is one of only three men to have won the fabled 120m handicap event twice, with his victories coming in 2003 and 2005.
Alexia Loizou (13.58) beat best friend and training partner Sophia Fighera (13.66) in the women’s Stawell Gift final.
‘‘We are rivals on the track, but it’s never like that off track,’’ Loizou, 21, who had a handicap of 5.75m, said.
‘‘It’s always super close and we never let any competition affect our friendship, which is so special.’’
Bree Masters was third in 13.88.
Victorian duo Rodrigues Chico and Loizou pocketed winners’ cheques of $40000.
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