Andrews-Paul through to world semis

Alison Andrews-Paul (1140) on her way to victory in a lead-up race for the 2016 world junior track and field championships. Photo / Supplied by Bevan

Masterton's Alison Andrews-Paul was the toast of the New Zealand squad on the opening day of the world junior (under-20) track and field championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Tuesday evening.

Competing at this level for the first time Andrews-Paul, 18, showed few signs of nerves as she cruised to victory in the third heat of the women's 800m to qualify for the semi-finals to be raced in the early hours of this morning New Zealand time.

Clocking a very respectable 2mins 8.13secs and watched from the sidelines by her coach, dad Wayne, Andrews-Paul left nothing to chance, making her move as far as 300m out to ensure she kept out of any trouble which might ensue over the closing stages.

"That was really good. It was quite pushy out there and I had water coming at me from some of the girls in front, which was a big distracting, " Andrews-Paul said in a post-race interview.

"At the start of the second lap I assessed where I was and how the other girls were going. With 300m to go I made a move because I don't like moving on the bend. I didn't want to risk making the semi-final, and I felt really good with 200m to go, so I just went for it. It wasn't as hard as it usually is so that's a good sign."

Runner-up to Andrews-Paul was Artelis Thaureaux of Cuba and third was Victoria Tachinski of Canada.

For Alison's mum, Sam, at home in Masterton there was frustration that she could not find any website which enabled her to watch the race live but she and other family members were able to follow it on a site which gave an almost instant written account of what was occurring.

"We were a bit anxious when it said she was lying third but then it said she had won, and we were over the moon."

It was about an hour after the race that daughter and mother had a phone conversation and Sam said Alison was very aware that while the heat win was a good start the competition would be much tougher in the semis, of which there will be three.

The first two in each heat and the next two fastest times go through to the final.

"She knows she is going to have to run the race of her life to go any further, anything less than a personal best probably won't be good enough. She's determined to give it everything she's got, and I'm sure she will."

Sam Andrews-Paul said Alison was "quite overcome" with the huge support she had received from Wairarapa leading into the world championships, both in terms of financial assistance and messages of goodwill.

"She's often talked about how much she owes the Wairarapa now, and it's certainly been an extra driving force for her."

The world championships will be the last major competition for Alison Andrews-Paul before she leaves to take up an athletics scholarship at Baylor University, near Dallas, in the United States.

She was crowned Senior Sports Personality of the Year at the 2016 Wairarapa Times-Age sports awards in early June.