Athletics: Four named to World Indoor Champs team

Nick Willis of New Zealand celebrates winning the Men's Mile in Boston. Photo / Getty Images

Athletics New Zealand has announced a team of four athletes to compete at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships being held in Portland, USA from March 17-20.

The team includes one track runner, Nick Willis in the 1500, and three shot putters Valerie Adams, Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill.

Adams is the most experienced at the World Indoor Champs, having competed at five previous world indoors starting in 2004. She has won championship titles in 2008, 2012 and 2014 and a silver in 2010.

Walsh competed at his only world indoors in 2014 and came away with a surprise bronze medal, signalling his emergence as a world class thrower.

Willis has competed at two previous championships, in 2008 and 2014, getting disqualified at both meetings for stepping off the track.

Gill is the only newcomer to this level of indoor competition.

The three shot putters will all be in action at The Auckland Track Challenge at Waitakere this Thursday and at the New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Dunedin March 4-6. Willis has been competing at indoor meetings in Boston and New York, setting a New Zealand indoor mile record at the latter. He will not be returning to New Zealand for the National Championships.