Zoe Hobbs crosses the line in the Women's 100m final breaking the New Zealand record. Photos / Ian Cooper
Zoe Hobbs crosses the line in the Women's 100m final breaking the New Zealand record. Photos / Ian Cooper
In an unforgettable day for New Zealand sprinting, Zoe Hobbs slashed a further 0.06 from her New Zealand women's 100m record – subject to ratification – by clocking 11.21 (+1.7m/s) at the Potts Classic in Hastings on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who posted an outright national 100m record of 11.27 in Auckland in December, went even better in the heats of the 100m.
She returned to the track to win the final in a blistering 11.14 (2.2m/s) – although the wind speed was just above the allowable limit for record purposes.
Georgia Hulls (Hastings) was second in 11.43, with Rosie Elliott (Christchurch) third in 11.51.
Hobbs said her strategy was to go hard in both the heat and the final "as it's not often we get perfect conditions like this".
"I was so happy to get the record in the heat. It ticked that box going into the final. I then just wanted to refocus for the final and reinforce what I'd done in the heat," she said.
"I have bigger goals and I wanted to qualify for worlds. To run 11.14 was bittersweet. A big aim is to run 11.15 (with a legal time) as that is the standard for worlds (World Championships) and Commonwealth Games (11.15 is the Athletics NZ B Performance standard) but I will take a national record."
Napier 3000m runner Eric Speakman being congratulated for adding another national silver to his collection by Olympic Harrier & Athletics Club runner Will Anthony. Photo / Ian Cooper
In the men's 100m, rising star Tiaan Whelpton also unleashed a pair of blistering runs in near perfect conditions to climb to joint No 4 on the all-time New Zealand lists.
The tall 21-year-old sprinter from Christchurch blasted to 10.09 in the heats – 0.02 quicker than Gus Nketia's 28-year-old national record – but the wind speed of 3.8m/s was above the legal limit.
Whelpton returned for the final to claim victory in a time of 10.18 (1.9m/s). He finished 0.42 clear of second placed Cody Wilson (Mana). The Athletics NZ B Performance Standard for the Commonwealth Games is 10.12.
Whelpton said he was absolutely stoked to run 10.09 in the heat.
"I then came back for the final and although I was quite tired out of the blocks, I decided to go for it. I wanted to run 10.2 something, but in the back of my head I thought I could go under 10 (seconds). I can't express how happy I am," he said
Elsewhere, Olivia McTaggart (North Harbour Bays) set a new PB of 4.60m to win the women's pole vault and claim her second Commonwealth Games A Performance standard.
Julian Oakley (Tauranga) added the national 3000m crown to the 1500m title he won last March, registering a time of 8:00.96. After a fast 1km led by Eric Speakman, the second kilometre slowed only for Oakley to grasp the nettle and make a decisive strike for home with 800m to go.
Despite facing intense pressure around the final bend from Speakman and the fast-finishing Matthew Taylor, Oakley resisted the challenge to add another national title to his collection.
Speakman (8.01.46) from the Napier club added yet another national silver to his collection after also filling the second rung of the podium at each of the 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m last year. Taylor, the 2020 national 3000m champion, finished 0.12 adrift in third.
Five years after her last national 3000m victory, Laura Nagel regained the title with the sweetest of wins on her home patch. Raised in Hawke's Bay, a strong final 400m broke the resistance of the opposition as she crossed the line for gold (9:28.87).
Penelope Salmon of Auckland City wiped more than 7.5 seconds from her best to record 9:30.09 with Nagel's North Harbour Bays training partner Brigid Dennehy setting a huge PB of 9:38.23 in third.
Nagel, who faced several years on the sidelines through injury and only made her competitive return at last year's national championships, said it felt like it has been a long road back.
"I'm happy with today, although I feel like I'm learning to race once again – it was a shock to the legs," she said.
"Just two years ago I didn't think I'd be able to run but the last six months everything has started to come together. I feel I now have the right recipe to keep moving up."
More local success was enjoyed in the women's 800m as Holly Manning claimed a gutsy victory in the Sylvia Potts Memorial. The in-form Hastings AC athlete finished strongly to claim top spot in 2:06.23 with two-time former winner Katherine Camp (2:07.47) in second just 0.03 ahead of Jennifer Hauke (Papakura).
