Harris in awe of Italian amenities

Masterton athletics guru Mark Harris has labelled the sporting facilities in Bressanone, Italy as "mind boggling".
Harris is in Bressanone, a town with a population similar in size to Masterton, as manager of the New Zealand team to contest the world track and field championships and he is in awe of the amenities there.
Not only do they have an eight-lane all-weather athletics track up to international standard but also a tennis complex with eight all-weather courts and a variety of cycling and walking trails for those who prefer to exercise that way.
"It just goes to show what a small town
can do if it really puts its mind to it," Harris said.
"It's fantastic to walk around and see what they have here, they've really done themselves proud."
Harris is optimistic the 20-strong Kiwi contingent will make their presence felt both on the track and in throwing events.
He rates at least four of the athletes to have bright prospects of filling a top-five placing, although he emphasises they will need to produce their very best form against competition from all over the globe.
"Potentially we have some very promising talent in our team but it's all about them handling the pressure and coming up trumps on a given day," Harris said.
"And when you are talking about 16 and 17-year-olds that's not something you can guarantee, all you can do is provide them with the best possible assistance and trust they will give it their best shot."
Interestingly enough one of the top medal hopes for New Zealand is Wellington-based discus thrower Leela Lealaisalanoa, who has been a regular opponent of Wairarapa's talented discus exponent, Courtnay Fafeita over the past 12 months.