The growing love affair top track and field athletes have with Hastings’ William Nelson athletics precinct for achieving their best performances with the arrival of some of the stars for a special event ahead of Saturday’s Allan and Sylvia Potts Classic.
Among the lineup at Mitre 10 Sports Park meeting was 2016 Olympic Games women’s pole vault bronze medallist Eliza McCartney, who has a personal best of 4.94 metres from 2018 but at the age now of 26 coming back this season after three years away with injury and needing a current leap of at least 4.71m to qualify for this year’s World championships in Budapest.
But it’s increasingly tough competition, with 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris and current World-ranked No 11 Olivia McTaggart, who achieved a personal best of 4.65m at the national championships in Hastings last year, both also in the mix.
McCartney jumped 4.21m off a short run-up in what is the early stages of her bid, with a pole vault also scheduled for Saturday’s classic which has attracted one of the best fields of athletes since the event was first held as the Sylva Potts Classic 22 years ago.
