Athletics NZ weekly round-up

BRAZIL

Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Track and Field, Olympic Stadium - 12/20 August 2016

12 August:

The Team Val Adams bus rolled into Rio and delivered a silver medal in the shot put for Valerie Adams, denying her the opportunity of becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals.

Adams led the first round with 19.79m and again after the second round with 20.42m but was pipped at the post in the sixth and final attempt by Americas Michelle Carter who released a personal best and national record of 20.63m. Adams made a valiant final attempt of 20.39m but had to settle for the silver.

Hungarys Anita Mrton was third with a national record of 19.87m, Lijiao Gong was fourth with 19.39m and Raven Saunders of USA fifth in a personal best 19.35m.

Adams was gracious in defeat and congratulatory of Carters victory.

"It would have been nice to win, that was the whole goal to come out here and win but thats sport and I wanted to come out here and leave my heart out here and I fought to the very end.

"After what Ive come through, where I was last year to now Ive done a lot of work to be here today. Im very blessed to be here today. Its sport and Ive got to take it Ive got to celebrate it, it is my third Olympic medal and Ive got to take it and run," said Adams.

The Olympic champion from Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012 said it has not been easy leading up to Rio.

"Its been a really tough two years and really intense. Some days at the very start with my elbow and shoulder surgery I didnt know whether I was going to be able to come here today to contest this. It was a very long road and there some very tough days out there but I must admit that Ive got very good support team, especially my physio, who have stuck by me from the very start and I had to fight to be here today.

"A gold would have been great thats always the goal and that was my goal to get the three-peat but this is the reality of sport and weve got to celebrate it," said Adams.

"Michelle has been around for a little while and she is one of these athletes you can never under estimate shes either on or off, but you can never under estimate her throughout the whole competition. She can either come out on the first throw and do a big one or the last throw and do a big one and she did that tonight. Congratulations to her shes thrown really well," added Adams.

Carter said that she had to dig deep to win.

"I knew I had to give it my all in the last round because Val is a great competitor and I know she has the capacity to throw far, so I was just hoping that it would stay up there, but I knew that she could come back but I was glad that I was able to walk away with the gold," said Carter.

The 30 year old whose father Michael Carter won the silver medal in the shot put at the 1984 Olympic Games said that she remains totally focused on her performance going into an event.

"It is never my goal to just try to beat Val, my goal is to be the best that I can be because I believe we all concentrate on ourselves and do what we need to do and thats my main thing and thats what I was able to do today," she added.

Nikki Hamblin was unable to sustain a finishing burst over the final 300m of her heat of the 1500m and did not qualify for the semi-finals.

Hamblin was well placed on the pole over three quarters of the race and was still in sixth place at the bell but when the pace went on she could not respond and finished 13th in the second heat in 4:11.88.

The double silver medallist from the Delhi Commonwealth Games said that she was lacking in endurance training.

"Im disappointed, when it came time to go I just didnt have the legs, Ive havent had my legs in my last few races. Four years of work comes down to a four minute run and Im incredibly disappointed just that I havent been able to pull it together today."

Hamblin said she just didnt have the edge over the last lap.

"Its probably a result of missing quite a lot of running early on in the middle of last year and the beginning of this year and missed that endurance block and although I felt really great when someone lays the hammer down I just hurt, like I hurt so bad, and its something new for me to deal with this year, like Ive never had that happen to me before. I guess I wanted something better to show for the last four years as so many people have supported me and its just a shame what happened at the beginning of the year happened and I tried to keep believing," said Hamblin.

Quentin Rew who has the 50km race walk later in the week, didnt get his Rio campaign away to a good start being disqualified in the 20km race walk, copping three red cards for bent knee and two loss of contact.

12 August Results: Valerie Adams shot put qualifying 19.74m (1QA), final 20.42m (2). Quentin Rew 20km race walk final DQ Rule IAAF 230.7a. Nikki Hamblin 1500m heats 4:11.88 (13r2).

13 August:

Zane Robertson ran one of the races of his life in coming in 12th in the Rio Olympics 10,000m in 27:33.67 to carve eight seconds off Dick Quaxs 39 year old New Zealand national record.

Robertsons execution was perfect, keeping out of trouble from the start running towards the rear of the 34 strong field. With eight laps to go he was in 18th place and over the closing stages when the pace went on at the front Robertson was running strongly and picking up places from those who dropped off from the leading group.

Mo Farah was brilliant repeating his win from the London Olympics, outkicking Kenyas Paul Tanui to win in 27:05.17. Tanui recorded 27:05.64 and Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia was third in 27:06.26.

Robertson, the bronze medallist in the 5000m at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, cut 13 seconds off his previous best set in Oregon in May last year.

The 26 year old who had come off training at altitude in Switzerland said that he kept to his pre-race plan throughout the race.

"Tonight was all about the national record and I knew these guys were going to push the shit out of it, so I just tried my best to run to my race plan and I knew that if I keep running hard enough Ill catch back up to the group after I dropped in the surges and every time I got back until they really decided to go, but by then I had the drop offs coming back to me and Im just really happy that I achieved something and come away from this with my goal achieved," said a delighted Robertson.

He added that he still has more in the tank.

"I think that I have a little more in the tank, we started the race really slowly so definitely I have more there and I think 27:10 tonight was possible but Im not disappointed, I almost beat Geoffrey Kamworor who was the silver medallist last year in Beijing, so a tough group of guys and I did my job."

It is a performance that he was ready for.

"Twelfth is just a number here tonight we had 20 guys who are under the New Zealand record in the 5000m, under the New Zealand record in the 10,000m and to do it on the world stage its one hit one shot and you make any mistake and its gone."

And he had no trouble during the race.

"Ive come through intact, I saw some of the guys get some shoving, but I stayed out of trouble and I got tripped almost once but just held it together you cant let these things affect you."

Also training at St Maritz was of benefit but he almost didnt make it to Rio.

"I trained there before Glasgow and I trained there again before Rio and during this time of the year its raining in Africa, but six weeks ago I wasnt running, I had a neurological injury in my back, it felt like Id torn the calf muscle in my leg but once wed figured out what it was I got the treatment and the next day I was running, science is an amazing thing.

Robertson said that he wasnt fazed racing against Mo Farah.

"Ive raced with him before, I dont care about names or whos who I just go out there and do my thing and I try to beat everyone."

Dick Quax said he was pleased for Robertson to get his record.

"Its time it went, he ran a fine race, coming home faster over the second 5000m, Im delighted for him," he said.

Quax had earlier tweeted: "I'm now just the second fastest 10,000m runner from Hamilton Boy's High School behind Zane Robertson."

"I dont know how many secondary schools can say they have produced two sub 28 minute 10,000m runners," Quax said later.

13 August Result: Zane Robertson 10,000m final 27:33.67 (12).

AUCKLAND

Winter Throwers Series 3, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore, 13 August: Anthony Nobilo 1.5kg DT 37:01m, 5kg HT 63.03m PB, 6kg HT 52.42m. Nick Hailes 5kg HT 54.68m. Ella Pilkington 4kg HT 49.15m. Jayden Williamson 3kg HT 42.82m, 4kg HT 34.01m PB. Chris Scrivens 4kg HT 46.82m. Connor Bell 1.25kg DT 56.18m.

WELLINGTON

49th Bays Relay, Island Bay to Evans Bay - 13 August 2016

Wellington Scottish team of Tim Hodge, Harry Burnard, Ryan Hooper, Jamie White and Chris McIlroy won the senior mens relay in 1:11:36, from their B team and Wellington Harrier Athletic Club. Scottish also won the senior women from Olympic and WHAC. Scottish won the master men 40 plus and 50 plus and the master women. WHAC won the junior men and the master men 60 plus.

ROAD AND TRAIL RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY

Auckland

Rat Race 5km, Takapuna, 10 August: Gene Rand 16:58, Jan Steenkamp 17:10.

Cornwall Park, Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Daniel Smith 18:09, Liam Barry 18:10, Colin Foley 18:19.

Western Springs Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Peter Kenny 18:44.

Hamilton

Lake Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Michael Robinson 18:25, Joe Morgan 18:40, Benjamin Moody 18:44.

Rotorua

Puarenga Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Andrew Crosland 18:25.

Napier

Anderson Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Lucas Duross 16:06, Kieron Batt 18:51, Jason Petuha 18:53.

Wellington

Porirua Parkrun 5km, 13 August: Gareth McCash 18:45.

Christchurch

Pegasus Parkrun 5km, 13 August: John Marshall 18:14.

Alexandra

Clyde to Alexandra 10km Road Race, 13 August: Daniel Balchin 31:02, Jack Beaumont 31:55, Ben Ruthe 31:59. Merryn Johnston 39:08, Bella Bloomfield 39:52, Claire Corbett 41:36.

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand