News & Updates

1 March 2021 • General

Weekly Round Up: 1 March

An ecstatic Dame Valerie Adams back to her best with a world-leading throw at the Sir Graeme Douglas International (Photo: Alisha Lovrich)

New Zealand Competition Results

AUCKLAND
Sir Graeme Douglas International – Continental Bronze Meeting, Douglas Track and Field, Trusts Arena Waitakere – 27 February 2021
There is nothing like a smiling Dame Valerie Adams and on Saturday evening in Henderson she was beaming after sending the shot out to 19.65m, her best distance in nearly five years.

The 36-year-old mother of two signalled to the rest of the world that she is on target for her fifth Olympic Games and another medal to add to her two golds and silver from previous Olympics.

Her series was 18.68, 19.65, 19.31, F, 19.14 and 19.36.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic, I’m just so happy, this smile is not going to go away anytime soon,” said a delighted Dame Valerie.

Her latest effort puts her level at the top of the world rankings this year with Auriol Dongmo of Portugal, who threw 19.65m indoors in Karlsruhe at the end of January.

“I’ve worked so hard, making my time in Christchurch all pay off now and I know there is still more to come and I’m looking forward to that. Today was a great day.”

Declaring it as a post-motherhood PB, she explained that she had gone back to the drawing board.

“I needed to go back and study my own videos of when I was at the top of my game and see what that felt like, and I had massive training sessions this week in particular to try and re-emphasise that feeling so I was able to execute it today,” she added.

Maddison-Lee Wesche, 2018 world junior champion, was second with 18.12m, her best effort since the 2019 Sir Graeme Douglas International meeting. Career bests were posted by Kaia Tupu-South with 15.29m and Natalia Rankin-Chitar 14.00m.

Tom Walsh was looking much happier, finally releasing the monkey off his back of four straight losses to arch rival Jacko Gill in the shot put. There was just 16cm in it at the end, with Walsh prevailing with 21.60m to Gill’s 21.44m.

Walsh led after the first round with 20.90m, but Gill responded with 21.05m in round two which gave him the advantage until Walsh landed the 21.60m in round five. Gill was unable to better this with his 21.44m.

“I didn’t throw as far as I would have liked going into the last couple of rounds. Tom stepped it up and I managed to get a bit of a further throw, but not as far as Tom did,” said Gill.

Walsh, with his best throw since the Hastings spring series in September, said he was finally on target in round five.

“It felt okay, much better than the first few rounds. It blew through my fingers which hurt like hell, but it was definitely a nice feeling to get something behind it as the first three rounds were no good,” said Walsh.

Nick Palmer improved on his 17.91m at the Porritt Classic to a fresh PB of 18.41m for third. Ben Tuimaseve increased his New Zealand Para Athlete F37 5kg shot put record to 12.91m.

The clash of Eddie Osei-Nketia and Tiaan Whelpton did not eventuate after Whelpton pulled up with 20 metres remaining in the 100m final with a hamstring injury.

In the earlier heats, Osei-Nketia won his in 10.60 -0.2 and Whelpton his in 10.58 +0.7. Osei-Nketia went on to win the final in 10.46 +3.2, from Joseph Millar 10.69 and Tommy Te Puni 10.70.

Zoe Hobbs was quick in the heats of the women’s 100m recording a wind assisted 10.36, just a hundredth of a second outside her New Zealand resident record. Hobbs was all power in the final, winning in 11.45 +0.3 from Georgia Hulls who clocked a PB 11.64. Brooke Somerfield flashed through for third in 11.84.

Hobbs was not totally satisfied with her performance.

“I had a bit of a stumble at the start in the heat and I wanted to push it hard after that, so it was reassuring to run that time in the heat after having a muck up. I wasn’t able to pull it through in the final,” said Hobbs.

Hamish Kerr, the athlete of the moment in the high jump, was unable to follow up his New Zealand record of 2.31m last week in Wellington. The five times New Zealand champion entered the competition at 2.11m which he cleared along with 2.18m, took two attempts at 2.24m and sailed over at 2.28m on his first attempt. The bar was then raised to the Tokyo Olympic Games qualifying height of 2.33m, which he went close to achieving on his three attempts.

“The 2.28m was good and it was definitely on after that clearance. The comp itself up until then hadn’t gone amazingly. I had a couple of rusty clearances and then just tagged the 2.28m and I was like, just get it up to 2.33m and get into it,” said Kerr.

He added that he gave it every chance.

“They were good, I got a good look at it with the first attempt, the second was a bit bad and I was able to scratch one back on the third attempt,” he added.

Marcus Wolton was second on a count back with 2.01m and Jayden Williamson and Josh Inger were third equal with the same height.

Hamish Gill, in only his third 400m, reduced his PB of 47.72 from the Porritt Classic to 47.68. Luke Mercieca was second in 48.93. Jordyn Blake won the women’s 400m in 55.09 with Holly Rule second in a PB 55.59. Cameron French won the 400m hurdles in 50.96.

James Preston, paced by James Harding to 600m, won the 800m in 1:47.92, chased by Alex Beddoes who ran 1:48.17. Two weeks earlier Preston had recorded a time of 1:47.84 at the Porritt Classic.

Joshua Hawkins was disqualified from the 110m hurdles after he false started. Tom Moloney went on to win in 15.25 +0.5 PB. The women’s 100m hurdles went to Amy Robertson, her eighth straight victory this season, in 13.58 +0.8. Hinewai Knowles was second in 14.38 and Angelina Zickert secured a PB 15.29 in third.

The season’s leading pole vaulters James Steyn and Olivia McTaggart failed to clear a height. Ettiene Du Preez was over the bar at 4.62m and Imogen Ayris 4.32m in the women’s pole vault. Felix McDonald was out to 7.33m in the long jump and Anna Thomson 12.71m in the triple jump. Tori Peeters threw the javelin 54.47m and Stephanie Wrathall 48.20m.

Camille Buscomb followed up her win at the Porritt Classic with another solid performance, running the 1500m in 4:15.25. Katherine Camp finished strongly to pip Rebekah Greene for second in 4:17.85.

Sophie Atkinson came from behind to win the 800m in 2:11.32 from Stella Pearless who had led most of the way.

Zane Powell proved too strong over the final lap of the annual Sir John Walker junior mile, winning the 34th edition in 4:21.42. Ben Bidois was second in 4:22.55 and Ronan Codyre third in 4:23.03.

Jaxon Woolley won the Para Athlete 100m in 13.10 and Joe Smith was the winner of the 200m. Anna Steven T64 sped to victory in the women’s 200m in 28.95 +2.3.

Summer Throws Series #3, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore – 27 February 2021
Alexander Parkinson DT 57.04m. Anthony Nobilo HT 62.13m, Anthony Barmes 52.55m. Daniel Shaw 800g JT 41.11m, 700g JT 43.09m. Grace Matulovic 3kg SP 12.30m, 4kg SP 10.31m PB, DT 34.18m. Karmen-Elizabeth Maritz 3kg SP 11.24m, DT 35.02m. Suluama-Rose Vaeau-Mulitalo DT 39.01m, 4kg HT 39.60m PB. Mellata Tatola DT 36.93m PB, 4kg HT 40.52m. Caitlin Shepperson DT 36.67m, 4kg HT 39.95m. Centaine Noom-Duckworth 4kg HT 47.44m. Jasmine He Ling 3kg HT 34.70m PB. Anne Goulter W55 DT 25.59m PB.

INGLEWOOD
New Zealand Masters Championships, 26/28 February 2021
Jacqueline Wilson (75) highlighted the championships with two W75 world records. In the 3000m race walk Wilson clocked 19:18.90, breaking the record of 19:23.50 set by Hatue Matumoto of Japan in Tokyo in October 2017.

Wilson also bettered Daphne Jones’ 2016 New Zealand masters W75 record of 20:33.59. In the 5000m race walk Wilson recorded 31:58.65, erasing Britta Tibbling of Sweden’s time of 32:44.76 set in Miyazaki Japan in October 1993. She also improved on her own New Zealand masters record of 32:51.20 set in early February.

WELLINGTON
Twilight Meeting, Newtown Park – 24 February 2021
Zechariah Kingi 100m 11.16 -1.4. Jake Paul 200m 22.60 0.0. Hirotaka Tanimoto 1000m 2:42.38.

Throws and Jumps Meeting, Newtown Park – 27 February 2021
Nathaniel Sulupo SP 15.32m, DT 47.82m. Corran Hanning F12 1.5kg DT 36.12m. Kaleb Sola 2kg DT 34.79m PB. Mikayla Sola 3kg SP 11.61m, DT 36.16m. Elizabeth Hewitt DT 42.64m.

NELSON
Twilight Meeting, Saxton Field Athletic Track – 24 February 2021
Lucy Sheat 100m 12.21 +2.0, 200m 24.84 +0.6.

DUNEDIN
Athletics Otago Meeting, Caledonian Ground – 27 February 2021
Shay Veitch 100m 10.81 -0.5. John Gerber 400m 51.28, Jedidiah Thompson-Fawcett 51.54 PB. Alexander Brown 3000m RW 13:52.01 PB. Jackson Rogers HJ 1.88m PB. Russell Green 1500m 4:00.44 PB, Andrew Carr 1500m 4:05.05 PB. Leonie Palmer LJ 5.12m +0.2. Jade Zaia 2kg DT 48.40m. Zharna Beattie DT 44.29m. Anton Schroder 800g JT 54.44m. Ethan Walker 800g JT 53.51m. Kieran Fowler SP 13.46m. Cameron Moffitt 990mm 110m H 16.15 -0.1, 1.75kg DT 39.32m PB.

International Results

AUSTRALIA
Garry Brown Shield, Brisbane, 20 February: Caitlin McQuilkin-Bell 800m 2:09.54 (2).

Victorian Championships, Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park Melbourne, 21 February: Ebuka Okpala TJ 15.16m 0.0 (2).

Sydney, 25 February: Esther Keown 1500m 4:30.74 (4).

Canberra, 25 February: Brad Mathas 800m 1:47.81 (3). Simon Rogers 800m 1:53.00 (5RB).

USA INDOORS
Lone Star, Lubbock TX, 20 February: Leah Belfield heat 60m 7.61 (1), heat 200m 24.67 (1). 21 February: 60m 7.63 (1), 200m 24.70 (2).

Sun Belt, Birmingham AL, 22/23 February: Ben Collerton heptathlon 5348 points (2), 60m 7.29 782, LJ 6.84m 776, SP 13.31m PB 686, HJ 2.05m 850, 60m H 8.56 846, PV 4.41m PB 734, 1000m 2:59.03 674.

ACC, Clemson SC, 25 February: Jacob Holmes 5000m 14:41.35 (7).

Big 10, Geneva OH, 25 February: James Uhlenberg 3000m 8:09.75 (12).

Championships at the Peak, Colorado Springs CO, 26 February: Weiré Olivier LJ 7.15m (5). 27 February: Weiré Olivier TJ 15.26m (4).

SEC Championships, Fayetteville AR, 26 February: Nick Moulai 5000m 14:35.92 PB (15).

Mid American, Lansing MI, 27 February: Toby Gualter 3000m 8:17.11 (3), 5000m 14:18.80 (2). Chris Devaney 5000m 14:17.81 (1).

Husky Classic, Seattle WA, 27 February: Sam Tanner mile 3:55.23 (1), beat Lucas Bons USA who ran 3:55.45.

Road and Trail Races Around the Country

WHANGAREI
Hatea 5km Series, 24 February: Ben Winder 18:53, Dwayne Collecutt 19:54, Adrian Earl 21:10.

AUCKLAND
O’Hagan’s 5km, Viaduct Harbour, 23 February: Cameron de L’isle 16:57, Harry Harris 17:10, Simon Mace 17:29. Robyn Lesh 19:50, Tia Knight 20:42, Christine Adamson 21:50.

Rat Race 5km, Takapuna, 24 February: Marcus Robertson 16:44, Paul Lagerman 19:36, Andrew Harvey 20:00.

HAMILTON
Eastside Riverpath 5km, 23 February: John Mering 17:17, Harry Coles 17:39, Jack Murray 17:42. Charli Miller 18:42, Mia Milne 20:45, Dawn Tuffery 21:40.

Tongariro National Park
The Goat Adventure 20km Run, 27 February: Sjors Corporaal 1:54:41, Ryan Carr 2:01:07, Michael Erb 2:04:03. Sabrina Grogan 2:29:29, Nic Leary 2:38:21, Bree Drinkwater 2:50:31.

NAPIER
Tuesday Tune-Up 5km, Westshore Napier, 23 February: Robin Moore 19:04, Mark Fisher 19:43, Erwin Blokker 20:30.

WELLINGTON
Waterfront 5km Series, 23 February: Daniel Jones 15:25, Ben Twyman 16:19, Dougal Thorburn 16:29. Ali Campbell 19:36, Kasey MacKinnon 21:18, Fiona Hayvice 21:57. Walk; Ian Morton 33:20, David Sim 33:29, Joseph Antcliff 35:42.

NELSON
Honest Lawyer 5km Series, Monaco, 22 February: Eddie Hohepa 18:52, Kevin O’Donnell 19:07, Darryl Colligan 19:57. Robyn Deane 21:59.

Eddyline 5km Series, 4 Underpasses Course, 24 February: Ryan Whatling 17:50, Curtis Moore 18:04, Chris Sharland 18:07.

CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch Motorway Half Marathon, 28 February: Matthew Hobbs 1:16:46 PB, Jeremy Brens 1:18:00, Matt Bebbington 1:22:45. Rosie Hay 1:38:15, Tessa Holland 1:40:19, Wendy Godfrey 1:41:21. 10km; Alex Witt 37:55, Bailey Gebbie 38:30, John Mathias 38:39.