News & Updates

The fifth edition of the annual Rhythm & Jumps contest featuring some of the country’s finest jumpers is set to take place at Christchurch Boys’ High School on Friday 26 November.

The popular high-energy meet which combines high-class high and long jumping to music has been a welcome edition to the annual calendar and is similar in presentation and format to the Jumps to Music event – a longer established event in Hawera.

Terry Lomax, the organiser and creator of Rhythm & Jumps and Athletics NZ Lead Coach for Combined Events and Jumps, said of the meet: “The event was set up as a little bit of a follow to the Jumps to Music event and as a response to what some of the European meets had been doing. I wanted to inject greater interest in the jumps and with the athletes all selecting their own music to jump to it generates a bit of fun. The venue with the high jump apron right by the long jump pit helps create a nice intimate atmosphere.”

Last year the national senior men’s long jump champion Shay Veitch soared out to a personal best of 7.66m at the Rhythm & Jumps meet and the 20-year-old Ariki AA athlete once again returns to action in the men’s long jump.

Another reigning national champion Josephine Reeves heads a high-class women’s high jump field and while Olympic high jumper Hamish Kerr – a past competitor at Rhythm & Jumps – is not featuring in this year’s men’s high jump he will be on hand to provide a Coaching Clinic to youngsters prior to the meet.

“The intimacy of the competition and the support of the crowd acts as a real spur for the athletes to produce some great performances,” adds Terry. “The Friday night competition acts as the first part of a mini-festival of athletics followed by the inter-club meet on Saturday and I’ll be putting on a series of coaching clinics on Sunday.”

Confirmed star entrants

M LJ

Felix McDonald

Shay Veitch

W LJ

Tegan Duffy 

Helena Dinnissen

Ashleigh Bennett

Kelsey Berryman

M HJ

Marcus Wolton

Quinn Hartley

W HJ

Josephine Reeves

Keeley O’Hagan

Imogen Skelton

Maddie Wilson

Jess Hendren

More detailed information will be found on the new domain once it is set up over the next two weeks

www.rhythmandjumps.co.nz