News & Updates

Perhaps few athletes set to compete in the Black Singlet will better embrace the joy of the competition at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games than Keeley O’Hagan.

The 28-year-old high jumper produced the performance of her life to better her seven-year-old PB with a leap of 1.88m to secure the national title in March.

However, after facing a nervous wait to confirm selection, the Kapiti Coast-raised athlete now cannot wait to compete against some of the world’s leading high jumpers led by recently minted world champion Eleanor Patterson of Australia and her countrywoman Nicola Olyslagers, the Olympic silver medallist.

“It is going to be special,” she adds. “I’m really excited to see how competing against them can help improve my performance. Eleanor and Nicola are capable of jumping significantly higher than me but I’ve competed against them for many years, so I see that as a positive. I know Eleanor has gone through a few challenges in her life, it is nice to see her come out the other side.”

An outstanding age group athlete who jumped 1.82m as a 15-year-old she competed at both the World U18 and U20 Championships.

However, Keeley who has publicly admitted to her mental health challenges in the past, struggled for many years to translate that promise into the senior ranks.

Her road to recent success was kick-started when she relocated to Christchurch to be coached by Terry Lomax in 2019 and all their hard work together came together spectacularly at the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in March when she set a 3cm PB.

Conditionally selected for the Commonwealth Games – the conditions set for Keeley to be unconditionally selected was to jump 1.83m – she admits: “My selection brought a lot of joy and happiness but also a little bit of anxiety and concern,” admits Keeley. “I made a decision to attend the (NZOC selection) ceremony in Auckland. I had initially said no because I has been conditionally selected. However, after discussions with my key support people, I decided I am worthy to be there and I should enjoy the experience and I was confident I could achieve my conditions.”

Keeley jumped well but frustratingly fell 1cm shy of goal with a successful 1.82m clearance at the Gold Coast Invitational in late-May. However, given that the progression went up to a height of 1.86m, she said: “It was quite a big jump from 1.82m to 1.86m, so Terry and I were hopeful that it would have been good enough for the NZOC as my 1.83m height was subject to favourable height progressions.”

She moved on the Oceania Area Championships in Mackay but competing in wet and cold conditions she perhaps understandably struggled to find her best. Keeley once again soared clear at 1.82m but found the next height of 1.85m beyond her.

The Christchurch Old Boys United athlete then faced a nervous wait until her selection was confirmed by text.

“That next week was pretty rocky until I found out I had been selected,” she admits. “I was really up and down in training.

It was a real emotional rollercoaster. It was such a feeling of relief (to be selected). I’m grateful that the selectors considered that I had no control over height progressions.”

Also conditionally selected for the World Championships team, Keeley, unfortunately missed out via world ranking on taking to the high jump apron at Hayward Field. 

However, now fully focused on the Commonwealth Games the part-time nutritionist has prepared well for Birmingham and is looking forward to follow in the footsteps of former female Kiwi high jumpers such as Sarah Cowley Ross, Liz Lamb and Angie McKee to compete on the Commonwealth stage.

“It was cool to watch these athletes perform for New Zealand in the past and hopefully it will help inspire me to a good performance.”

Keeley enjoyed a confidence boosting performance when clearing 1.86m in Tullamore, Ireland last weekend – the second best performance of her career.

So what are her hopes and aspirations for Birmingham?

“I would really like to finish in the top six,” she says. “I know I’m capable performance wise. But if I’m out there attempting a PB – then I will be satisfied. Yet whatever happens, I’m going to be proud of myself and my performance. I know the hard work it has taken for me to put on the Black Singlet.”