Athletics New Zealand – News – Five London Olympians to compete at the NZ Track & Field Champs

Twice Olympic champion and three times world shot put champion Valerie Adams will be going for her twelfth New Zealand title at the national championships at Mt Smart Stadium this weekend.

Adams first won in 2001 in Hastings with 16.11m. The championship meeting record of 20.54m was set by Adams with her title victory in 2011.

Adams is one of four London Olympians who will be competing at the championships this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Lucy Van Dalen who made it to the semi-finals of the 1500m in London will be aiming to collect her first New Zealand title in the 1500m. Camille Buscomb has led the national 1500m rankings this season with a best of 4m 24.06s and will want to add the 1500m to the 3000m title won in the last two years. Rebekah Greene who holds the national under 17 record of 4m 18.90s achieved at the world junior championships in Canada two years ago and Angie Smit, runner up last year to Nikki Hamblin, should also stake claims for a medal in the 1500m. Among those also entered are Australian based Ni’ia Hothersall, American Becky Wade, national junior champion last year Annika Pfitzinger and Rosa Flanagan who won the Australian youth 3000m championship race last weekend in Perth.

Sarah Cowley who was 26th overall in the heptathlon in London, has entered in the high and long jumps. Cowley is three times high champion and has won the long title for the last two seasons. In the high jump she will resume her regular rivalry with Elizabeth Lamb who will be defending her title. Competition in the long jump will come from Mariah Ririnui who heads the rankings this year with 5.89m, Portia Bing and Fiona Morrison.

Stuart Farquhar ninth in the javelin throw in London will be seeking to win the most javelin titles outright. Last year he equalled the most titles of 12 with the legendary Stan Lay. The rapidly improving Ben Langton-Burnell second to Farquhar last year will be back and expected to throw over 70 metres.

Black Sticks hockey representative at the London Olympics Anita Punt has demonstrated in her short sprinting career that the national sprint double is within her grasp. Monique Williams will be defending her 100m and 200m titles and Kelsey Berryman, Kristie Baillie and Fiona Morrison will all be hard to peg back in the sprints. Morrison should win the 100m hurdles in a time close to her best of 13.48s and may even threaten the New Zealand resident record of 13.34s.

World junior and youth shot put champion Jacko Gill will be defending his junior 6kg shot put title. The 18 year old who holds the New Zealand under 19 and under 20 record with the 6kg shot with 22.31m will be aiming for the world 18 and 19 record of 22.73m held by world champion and silver medallist in London David Storl of Germany since 2009. Interest in the senior shot put will centre on Tom Walsh and whether he can send the 7.26kg shot out over 20 metres.

Philip Jensen will be going for title number 19 in the hammer throw. A win would give Jensen a span of 25 years since his first title in Hamilton in 1988, to equal the longest span between titles set by Val Young in both the shot put and discus throw. However Ryan Tinkle, who leads the rankings this season with 59.15m, will be gunning for his first senior title and also in the mix will be Adam Miller and outstanding junior Matthew Bloxham.

Joseph Millar will be looking for favourable conditions as he blasts down the track in the 100m and 200m as he defends his senior titles and also keen to clock fast times. Alex Jordan will not be defending his 400m title, however the final is stage set for an enthralling finish between Andrew Whyte, Cameron French, Daniel O’Shea, Tama Toki and Frazer Wickes. Brad Mathas will be defending his 800m title.
Hamish Carson will face strong competition from Malcolm Hicks and Hugo Beamish in the 1500m with Hicks and Beamish also contesting the 5000m. Matt Baxter has opted for the senior 5000m with national 10,000m champion Caden Shields also entered in the 5000m.

Michael Cochrane has the senior hurdles double in his sights. The 400m hurdles final should prove to be one of the highlights of the championships with Cochrane up against in form hurdlers Cameron French, Daniel O’Shea, Peter Callagher and Phil Simms.

Decathlete Nicholas Gerrard will be kept busy over the three days having entered in seven events, high jump, discus throw, 100m, shot put, long jump, pole vault and javelin throw.

It is a significant year for athletics with the World Championships to be staged in Moscow in August, the World Youth Championships in the Ukraine in July and the World University Games in Kazan Russia in July and those on the cusp of a qualifying performance for selection to one of these championships will have this as an added incentive.

The championships also marks the opening of the new all weather track at Mt Smart Stadium.

Murray McKinnon
Athletics Correspondent
Athletics New Zealand
0274 806086
murray@mckinnon.co.nz

 Athletics New Zealand – News