Athletics: Five selected for world champs

Five athletes have been named in a provisional New Zealand team for the world championships in Edmonton, Canada in August.

Jane Arnott, Chantal Brunner, Jenni Dryburgh , John Henwood and Tasha Williams were named by Athletics New Zealand convener of selectors Dave Norris, but they must achieve performance standards in June or July to confirm their selection.

It is the smallest team selected to represent New Zealand at the world championships.

Williams has had an outstanding season, twice beating the International Amateur Athletics Federation A-hammer throw standard of 65m and setting the New Zealand record at 65.91m.

Henwood won the national 10km title in 27m 57.43s, well inside the IAAF standard of 28m.

He also completed 5km in 13m 30.59s, which was under the IAAF B-standard by 1m 01s.

Dryburgh sensationally won the Australian national pole vault title, adding 19cm to her New Zealand record with a 4.35m clearance that bettered the federation's B-standard of 4.20m.

She had successive clearances of 4.20m, 4.25m and 4.35m and defeated the Olympic silver medallist, Tatiana Gregorieva.

Her vault of 4.35m would have placed her eighth at the Sydney Olympics and fifth in this year's world indoor championships.

Double Olympian Brunner won the Australian national long jump title, her 6.68m equalling her New Zealand record and bettering the IAAF B-standard of 6.65m.

She had previously jumped 6.66m last July and has proved her competitive ability in the past by reaching the finals at the world championships and Olympics.

Sprinter Arnott just bettered the 400m B-standard of 52.70s in running a close second to Australian Olympian Nova Perris-Kneebone in the Australian championships with a run of 52.59s.

Arnott backed up that effort with two other B-standards inside the IAAF time-frame and was well regarded as a excellent competitor in major competitions.

Rebecca Wardell has also bettered the B-standard in the event this season.

However, only one athlete can be entered, and Arnott gets the nod by defeating Wardell in the New Zealand and Australian championships.

Wardell will be considered for the World University Games in August-September this year.

Norris said the selected athletes were in career-best form and all should be candidates for the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

The team could be expanded if a number of athletes satisfied selection criteria by the July 15 deadline.

"The team we have named is our smallest ever for a world championships, but we certainly expect others to be added," he said.

Sydney Olympians Beatrice Faumuina and Ian Winchester in the discus and road walker Craig Barrett are among potential additions.

"We will be working athletes and their coaches to plan personal competition strategies to enable as many as possible to meet the selection criteria," Norris said.

The championships are held between August 3 and 12.

- NZPA