News & Updates

Portia Bing backed up her excellent display in yesterday’s heats, to run 55.53 and produce the third best time of her career en route to sixth place in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

On a hot and humid early evening at Hayward Field, the 29-year-old Aucklander lined up in a loaded semi-final featuring the defending world champion Dalilah Muhammad of the USA, but the Kiwi retained her cool to deliver a performance of which she can be proud.

Running from the tight inside lane, she ran a sensible first 200m before making a move around the final bend surging past the Italian Rebecca Satori on her immediate outside before hunting down and passing Oceania champion Sarah Carli of Australia down the home straight.

Finishing strongly, the Kiwi crossed the line in sixth – within 0.09 of her national record set at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Hastings in March. Muhammed cruised to victory in the first semi-final, recording 53.28.

Portia was delighted with her performance today: “I’m very pleased, really stoked to come into my second race of the (international) season and be very competitive. It is genuinely the first time I’ve ever raced against people I’m competitive with. It was not the cleanest lead up for me and I came into pre-camp having only done one 400m hurdles (in Antwerp) during the international season.

“What I’m happiest about is I was able to adapt and go with the flow. Competing at this level is not the same as being at home in a smaller environment where you can control everything.

On the Commonwealth Games next month she said: “I’ve set myself up well for Birmingham. I can now spend a bit of time with my coach (James Mortimer), and I can reflect and think on where I want to improve and get more technical guidance. I now have the chance to learn from my experiences here and put that into practice at the Commonwealth Games.”

There was disappointment for New Zealand javelin number one Tori Peeters, who struggled to fire in the women’s javelin qualification placing 24th with a best of 53.67m

The 28-year-old, who in March set a stunning national record of 62.40m in Hastings, opened with a red flag and followed up with a modest 52.03m in round two. Competing in intense heat of more than 30C, the Cambridge-based athlete improved out to her longest throw of the day with her final effort, but it was not enough to progress to the final. 

A disappointed Tori said: “I just didn’t show up in the qualifying, I didn’t attack my run up today and paid it for it in the distances.

“It was really tough out there (in the heat), there was a lot of girls in the qualification hanging about and the heat definitely made it tough but all good things to learn moving forward.

“I hit my toe in the line for the first throw and didn’t have a lot of confidence charging down the runway, and it showed in my throws. I’m really disappointed with today, I’ve just got to learn from it, take it on the chin and now look forward to Birmingham (Commonwealth Games).”

Brad Mathas gave qualification a good crack in heat four of the men’s 800m, but ultimately finished seventh in 1:47.70 in heat four and was eliminated from the competition.

The Whanganui-raised athlete who now resides in Melbourne, attacked the race with great intent, hitting the front on the first lap and taking the field through the bell in 54.46. The eight-time New Zealand champion then kicked from the front opening up a small but significant gap entering the back straight to raise hopes of a potential qualification spot.

However, he started to fade as he rounded the final bend and despite battling to the finish, he exited the competition in seventh in a heat won by Djamel Sedjadi of Algeria in 1:46.39. 

Results here

The Kiwis in action on day seven of the World Athletics Championships

1.10pm – Geordie Beamish – Men’s 5000m Heat 1

1.31pm – Hamish Carson – Men’s 5000m Heat 2