Eddie Osei-Nketia at the NZ Track and Field Championships. Photo / Photosport
Eddie Osei-Nketia at the NZ Track and Field Championships. Photo / Photosport
"Cycling and sprinting don't mix."
That was the declaration from Olympic hopeful Eddie Osei-Nketia, who is nursing a broken arm after an accident in Wellington.
The 19-year-old track sensation has declared his bid to make the Olympic Games - if they proceed in Japan next year - will not be hurt by the fall.
"I've still got plenty of time," said Osei-Nketia, who had the sports world amazed when he won the Australian 100metre title aged just 17 last year.
Osei-Nketia will be checked by a specialist next week to make the final call on the unlikely event he needs surgery, which would be a major setback. The cast on his right arm is due to be removed in two weeks, with another four weeks of rehabilitation likely.
The teenager has the perfect training partner under the circumstances - his fellow Olympic sprint aspirant Joseph Millar had a bike accident last year, and suffered a broken arm.
Osei-Nketia, a boarder at Scots College, said the accident occurred near Kilbirnie Park on Friday night.
He said while cycling might be okay for middle and long-distance runners, a love of speed had proved his undoing.
"I was going too fast down a hill…my foot slipped off the pedal and hit the ground," he admitted.
"I flipped and hit the ground."
Osei-Nketia suffered a fractured radius bone near the elbow, but fortunately no other injuries.
Millar had a similar accident on his bike last year when a chain came loose - he was flipped over the handlebars and skidded face down on the road.
He found alternate exercises to stay in shape, and even took his chiropractor to the gymnasium for support.
The 28-year-old Millar, who set the national 200m record three years ago, said his Wellington shift from Tauranga in order train with Osei-Nketia was paying major dividends.
Joseph Millar during the 2017 World Athletics Championships. Photo / Photosport
"I initially thought there would be more benefits for Eddie but it's been great for me, it keeps you on your toes all the time," said Millar, who will have his first competitive outing of the season in Wellington this weekend.
"Things have been going up and up and up. I can't see any reason why I won't be running as fast as I ever have.
"Eddie's accident isn't ideal - there are better things you can do than break an arm. Everything was progressing so well for us, so it's a little bit disappointing.
"But it's quite lucky for Eddie that he's training with someone who went through something similar and was able to run to a high degree again just six weeks later."
The sprinters have a 100m Olympic qualification target of 10.05s. Gus Nketia. Eddie's dad, holds the Kiwi record of 10.11 set in 1994. Millar is third on the all-tie list with 10.18, and Osei-Nketia next on 10.19.
Former Olympic sprinter Chris Donaldson, who is second on the list, is among those who believe Osei-Nketia has the ability to crack the 10 second barrier.
