Starzynski shooting for future success

Athletics

Mark the name Mikael Starzynski down as a young athlete with a bright future.

The 11-year-old Masterton Intermediate School student, who came to Masterton with his family from Auckland last April, was the sole Wairarapa representative selected in a New Zealand 10-11 years squad which competed in a track and field meet against their Australian counterparts in Sydney from January 7 to 16.

And he returned home with two medals to show for his efforts, a bronze from the individual 400m and a silver from the 4x400m relay.

It was the second year in succession Mikael had competed in this event and the second time he had been among the medal winners, taking out the gold in the 400m in Auckland at the 2012 meet.

A repeat of that placing seemed on the cards when Mikael led out early in his 400m final on this occasion but he had the misfortune to experience tightening in a calf muscle and was overtaken late by two other runners. His time was a slick 1m 03.22s.

Mikael had a busy schedule in Sydney, also competing over 200m, 1500m and in the long jump, and, not surprisingly, his results have whetted his appetite to compete at the very highest levels.