Eliza McCartney takes short Hastings steps for now, giant strides later

Satisfaction for Eliza McCartney in Hastings on Wednesday, after her first competition back from injury after a break of almost two years. Photo / Paul Taylor

Shorter is best for now for New Zealand pole vaulter Eliza McCartney as she takes her next steps forward in a comeback which started in Hastings on Wednesday and continues at the Allan and Sylvia Potts Classic in Hastings on Saturday.

Just turned 26 and nearing prime-time in age for a female pole vaulter, the 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist is using a short, eight-step run-up at the William Nelson track in the Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park as she eases back into competition recovering from a career-threatening Achilles tendon injury which has kept her out of competition for about two years.

Targeting a World Championships qualifying vault later in the season and a place at the championships in Budapest on August 19-27, the run-up is less than half her longest, the 18 steps of her New Zealand All-comers (best set in New Zealand) record of 4.85 metres, set in Hastings on January 26, 2019, six months after her national record of 4.94m jumped in Jockgrim, Germany.

The North Shore Bays athlete achieved 4.21m in a Pre-Potts try-out on Wednesday, a pole vault won by fellow World Championships hopeful Olivia McTaggart, who will also be in-line on Saturday, as will Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris.

At least two other top Birmingham games performers from overseas will also be at the three-hour Potts Classic, which starts at 5pm, both in throwing events.

England athlete Jade Lally won the women’s discus bronze medal and Taryn Gollshewsky, from Australia, was fourth.

Most of New Zealand’s top track and field athletes will compete in Hastings, with goals similar to those of McCartney, entering a pathway they hope will lead to Budapest, and a year later to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, at a time New Zealand has possibly its greatest-ever depth of potential international stars in the sport.

Among them are Commonwealth Games Commonwealth Games women’s shot put bronze medallist Maddi Wesche, and track speedsters Isabel Neal, Portia Bing and Rosie Elliott, who should make the women’s 400 metres one of the feature events of the night.

Sprinter Tiaan Whelpton has sights on the national men’s 100 metres record this year.

Thrower Connor Bell will be back in action with the national men’s discus record in the bag from a big effort in Hastings on Wednesday, one of seven national track and field records set in Hastings back to McCartney’s pole vault four years ago.

McCartney said it’s inspiring and “exciting” to be among such a depth of talent, particularly in her own specialist event, and most would be looking for World Championship qualifying times, distances and heights at event in March-April, including the national championships in March at Wellington’s Newtown Park Stadium.

Before Wednesday, McCartney had last competed in June 2021.

“It’s been a really long process. It feels like I’ve spent the whole of 2921 and 2022 trying to get myself out there again.”

“I’m feeling a bit beaten-up right now,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today on Thursday, “but that’s what you have to put yourself through, and I’m really pleased how it went yesterday.”