Valerie Adams finished second with 19.57m but had the satisfaction of winning her third Diamond Race in the shot put. Held in the historic surroundings of the Belgium capital's Grand Place Adams started with 18.97m, improved to 19.32m in the next round only to have Rio Olympic champion Michelle Carter pop out a 19.98m in round two which proved to be the winning performance. Adams series was 18.97, 19.32, 19.48, 19.34, 19.11, 19.57.
BRAZIL
2016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro - 8 - 18 September 2016
Anna Grimaldi launched the New Zealand team onto the medals table on the opening day of the Games, winning gold in the women's T47 long jump. In a dramatic contest between Cuban Yunidis Castillo and Australian Carlee Beattie, the 19 year old Grimaldi from Dunedin set four personal bests during the event, and jumped from third to first place with a massive final jump of 5.62m, 21 cm further than her best before the Games. Castillo led from the beginning of the competition with a jump of 5.59m in the first round while Grimaldi jumped 5.34, 5.43, 5.43 5.45 on her first four attempts to sit in the silver medal position. Beattie was out to 5.57m in the fifth round to push Grimaldi back a spot, but the student from the Athletics Taieri club responded with a fine leap, only to have it disallowed for overstepping the take-off board. She then made her sixth and final attempt, hitting the board perfectly and stretching out to a magnificent 5.62m. Castillo could not respond on the final jump of the competition and Grimaldi had secured the gold medal.
For Grimaldi the result was too farfetched for even the wildest of dreams.
"Last night going to sleep I imagined so many different scenarios of this today and this was definitely not even one of them, so I'm so excited this is amazing," she said.
"I was thinking that last jump wasn't any better than my previous jump, and Raylene Bates (team coach) was saying yes it was, it was bigger just wait."
Raylene Bates said she knew that Grimaldi was ready for a good jump as she lined up.
"When Anna was on the long jump run up for the last jump you saw that, I suppose, mongrel in her eyes and I thought she's going to do something really big here," said Bates.
Rory McSweeney also gave her encouragement before the final attempt.
"I was speaking to Rory on the side line telling him that it wasn't happening it wasn't going how I want it to go and he said go for it, and that's what I did," said Grimaldi.
Kiwi "blade runner" Liam Malone bagged an astonishing silver medal in the T44 100m and F44 Javelin thrower Rory McSweeney scored bronze on Day 2 to provide the athletics team with a complete set of medals after two days, complementing the gold for Grimaldi on the first day of competition.
Malone, a 22 year old student ran a stunning personal best 10.90 in the heats yesterday with a storming finish and while he couldn't quite replicate that time after a slow start in the final, he once again flashed home over the final 30m of the race to record 11.02 and claim second place behind Jonnie Peacock (GBR). The Nelson athlete, now based in Auckland and coached by recently retired national 200m champion James Mortimer. has been on a rapid improvement track since first trying the sport in 2013 when at a cross-roads in his life. Malone born with the condition fibular hemimelia in which part or all of the fibular bone is missing and who had both legs amputated below the knee at 18 months took to the sport immediately and has been improving rapidly ever since.
"Today was a super special day for me as it is my Mum's birthday. She passed away four years ago and I know she would be so proud. My mates were in the stand and it is really special to have them here to support me", said Malone.
"I was aiming for gold but Jonnie Peacock is fast and he raced a great race. I was pleased my acceleration kicked in toward the end, as it always does," he added.
Mortimer was thrilled for his charge.
"Liam's heat was really exciting, but his finish in the final was even more thrilling. He kept his cool after a poor start and just kept up the form and pressure to catch the others just before the line," said a happy Mortimer. "We're looking forward to his other races coming up to see what he can do."
The 31 year old McSweeney had an opening throw of 52.18m to sit in fifth place at the end of the round. He improved to third place in the second round with 54.02m and then went one better in the fourth round after a 54.99m effort, only to see Canadian Alister McQueen leapfrogging him with a 55.56m soon after. Akeem Stewart won gold with a world record 57.32m.
"This was an amazing night. I am over the moon; it really hasn't sunk in," said McSweeney.
"I was in the bronze medal position for a while but had other competitors still to throw, so it was pretty nerve-wracking, I had to wait until the very end to know if I had won the bronze. It was a really hard competition and I have had a tough four weeks, with lots of niggles in the body, but I thought I could get out there and do the business. I wanted to celebrate, but you have to be respectful, there was a lot of heartbreak around me on the field. I can't wait to get back to the village and see my friends and family, who were all watching in the stands. The local crowd was absolutely pumping tonight," he added.
Results:
8 September: Liam Malone T44 100m heats 10.90 (+0.9) PB NZR (1h2). Anna Grimaldi T47 LJ 5.62m (+0.6) PB NZR (1).
9 September: Liam Malone T44 100m 11.02 (+0.1) (2). Rory McSweeney F44 800g JT 54.99m (3). Jacob Phillips T35 100m 14.27 (-0.1) (4h1) q, Final 14.14 (+0.3) (8).
10 September: Anna Grimaldi T47 100m 12.88 (+0.7) PB NZR (4h2) q. Caitlin Dore F37 JT 20.87m (7).
11 September: Jacob Phillips T35 200m 28.78 (+0.9) PB NZR q. Anna Grimaldi T47 100m 12.96 (+0.9) (4). Liam Malone T44 200m heats 21.33 (+0.0) PB NZR 1h2 (Q).
BULGARIA
World Mountain Running Championships, Sapareva Banya - 11 September 2016
Jack Beaumont was the best placed New Zealander. Competing in the junior men 7.3km (+773m -89m) Beaumont finished ninth in 37:54. Sarah Douglas was 37th in the senior women over the same distance in 46:45. Stephen Day was 74th in the senior men 12.7km (+1468m -107m) in 1:14:36 and Dougal Thorburn was 81st in 1:16:22. In the junior women 3.6km (+531m -14.5m) Emerson Deverell was 22nd in 25:55 and Sophie Smith 28th in 26:54.
ITALY
World Masters Mountain Running Championships, Susa - 28 August 2016
Jono Wyatt finished second in the MM40 in 1:09:15, Stephen Day was 22nd in 1:25:49. Colin Earwaker was 10th in the MM60 in 52:34. Danny Baillie was 13th in the MM45 in 1:23:02. Jack Beaumont was fifth in the general race in 1:14:52 and Bridget Deverell was 29th and sixth woman in 1:41:22.
WHANGAMATA
Whangamata Half Marathon - 10 September 2016
Aaron Pulford won for the second year in a row in exactly the same time of 1:09:04. Reid Hunter was second in 1:11:55, Sam McCutcheon 1:12:11, Kyle Macdonald 1:13:12, Paul Crowhurst 1:15:29. Sally Gibbs was the first woman in 1:22:26 from Emily Kendrick 1:29:10 and Erin Tolhurst 1:30:50. The half walk went to Rebecca Jefferies 2:22:32 from Martin Thorpe 2:27:02. Wayne Guest won the 10km in 33:58 from Aaron Jackson 34:35 and Craig Torr 36:20. Margie Atthow first woman in 36:32. Chris Webb won the 5km in 18:47.
ROTORUA
Red Stag Redwoods Forest Relay - 10 September 2016
Pakuranga won the senior men and master men 5 x 5000m, and the male and female youth 4 x 3000m relays. The senior men recorded 1:24:07 to beat Hamilton City Hawks and Lake City Rotorua. Cambridge were second in the master men with Rotorua third. Rotorua won the senior and master women 5 x 5000m relays. Fastest laps: SM Michael Voss 15:46, MM Jonny McKee 15:53, SW Olivia Ritchie 19:17, MW Sue Crowley 19:36, YM Zane Powell 10:06, YW Tessa Webb 10:39 (record). Egmont Athletics won the 2 x 5000m race walk relay, Rodney Gillum taking the fastest lap honours in 29:50.
PALMERSTON NORTH
Winter Series 4 - 11 September 2016
Zac Topping 200m 22.15 (+0.7). David Lovelock 3000m 8:49.17. Jacob Aomarere-Poole HJ 1.88m PB, Mark Seumanu HJ 1.80m PB. Jordan Peters LJ 6.60m (+1.0). Nick Palmer 5kg SP 16.23m, 5kg HT 54.89m. Montaya Wharehinga 4kg HT 48.70m.
WELLINGTON
Pelorus Half Marathon and 10km, Petone - 11 September 2016
Hiro Tanimoto won in 1:12:13 from Daniel Clendon 1:14:42 and Chris Wharam 1:15:45. Women's half Emma Bassett 1:31:37, Rachel Vance 1:34:05, Nicola Hankinson 1:34:42. Walk; Jacqueline Wilson 2:23:11. 10km; Harry Burnard 31:25, Rawiri Gillespie 37:16, Trent Stallard 37:30. Walk; Daniel Du Toit 59:54.
CHRISTCHURCH
Governors Bay to Lyttelton 10km Road Race - 10 September 2016
Oska Inkster-Baynes won fastest time honours in 30:18, beating national road champion from last week Daniel Balchin 31:06. Nick Rennie was next on 31:44, Ieuan van der Peet recorded 32:31, Benjamin Musson 33:14 and Christopher Dryden 33:16. The fastest three in the master men were Danny Carmine 35:15, Nathan Jones 35:19 and Matthew Ingram 35:23. Angela Whyte headed the women on time with 39:35, Navajo Prentice recorded 39:56 and Elise Sutherland 40:35. Natasha Mitchell was the fastest master with 41:25.
DUNEDIN
38th Cadbury Dunedin Marathon - 11 September 2016
Jonah Smith, 2013 national junior 10,000m champion, won the marathon in a PB 2:41:25. Peter Codyre was second in 2:48:10 and Shaun Barlow third in 2:49:30. Mel Aitken bronze medallist in last year's New Zealand marathon championship was the first woman in 3:01:44. Megan Grant was second in 3:09:43 and Katherine Barker third in 3:18:46. Sam Wreford won the half marathon in 1:10:10 from Alexander Dodds 1:17:48 and Grant Guise 1:19:03. Sally Heinz was the first woman in 1:20:39 with Ange Parker second in 1:23:33 and Katrina Andrew third in 1:25:05.
