Athletics: Blincoe qualifies for world championships

New Zealand middle distance runner Adrian Blincoe has qualified for the world championship 1500m by running a personal best in Stockholm today.

Blincoe ran three minutes 35.65 seconds for sixth place in a Grand Prix race won by Ivan Heshko of the Ukraine in 3min 33.18sec.

Blincoe had come close to qualifying for next month's Helsinki world championships at the weekend, missing by 0.13sec in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.

The United States-based Aucklander was second in 3min 36.33sec at the KBC Night of Athletics meeting, a personal best he wiped out today.

With Olympian Nick Willis already selected for the 1500m, Blincoe had to secure an A qualifying time to gain a berth in Helsinki.

Willis recently broke former Olympic gold medallist John Walker's 29-year-old New Zealand 1500m record, when he ran 3min 32.38secs in Paris.

- NZPA