Athletics NZ weekly roundup 16 July

FINLAND

IAAF World Under 20 Championships, Tampere - 10/15 July 2018

Maddison-Lee Wesche continued New Zealands stunning run of World shot put champions, winning the Womens Under 20 World Championship in Tampere, Finland with a last gasp effort.

Sitting in third after the second round with 16.47m, she did not improve until the final round with a huge 17.09m personal best effort, hitting the lead by 0.04m from Chinese and Dutch athletes on 17.05m. Her series was 16.23, 16.21, 16.47, x, x, 17.09.

Wesche continues New Zealands fine run of shot put world titles following the recent heroics of Dame Valerie Adams, Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill.

Coached by Gills father Walter and strength and conditioning specialist Mike Schofield, Wesche took advantage of her previous international experience to remain focused right to the end of the competition, adding 0.09m to her personal best.

The new 2018 champion finished 20th two years ago at the 2016 World Under 20 Championships and 17th at the 2015 Under 18 Championships and becomes the third Kiwi to win an Under 20 title after Adams victory in 2002 and Gills two victories in 2010 and 2012.

Olivia McTaggart was fifth in the pole vault, Ryan Ballantyne eighth in the shot put and Katrina Robinson eighth in the 1500m.

Robinson said that it felt good to be in the top eight in the world.

"Going into the final straight, I just wanted to see how many I could pass so I was glad to get into the top eight," she said.

Results:

10 July: Samuel Tanner 1500m 3:47.10 (7H2), Isaiah Priddey 1500m 3:52.42 (10H3), Christopher Dryden 10,000m 31:36.03 (24), Ryan Ballantyne SP 19.03m (5QA), 19.39m (8), Nick Palmer SP 16.82m (13QB), Olivia McTaggart PV 4.20m (5QB), Imogen Ayris PV 3.95m (10QA).

11 July: Maddison-Lee Wesche SP 15.83m (2QB), 17.09m PB (1). Lucy Sheat 100m 12.10 (+0.8) (7H1). Katrina Robinson 3000m 9:22.80 (15).

12 July: Olivia McTaggart PV 4.30m (5).

13 July: Lucy Sheat 200m 24.52 (+0.9) (5H3). Katrina Robinson 1500m 4:17.93 (3H2).

15 July: Katrina Robinson 1500m 4:18.53 (8).

SWITZERLAND

Spitzen, Lucerne, 9 July: Dame Valerie Adams SP 18.67m (1).

MOROCCO

IAAF Diamond League, Meeting Mohammed VI, Rabat - 13 July 2018

Dame Valerie Adams was third in the shot put with 18.93m, which came in the fifth round.

This is her best performance this year, since the birth of her daughter in October.

Her series was 18.45, 18.38, 18.80, x, 18.93, x.

Christina Schwantiz, who is also back competing after a baby-break, won with an opening round throw of 19.40m. The German world champion from 2015 gave birth to twins in July last year.

Dame Valerie is based with her family in Switzerland and her next Diamond League competition is in Monaco next Friday.

BELGIUM

Flanders Cup, Kortrijk, 14 July: Josh Ledger 400m 48.23 (4). James Preston 800m 1:48.44 (1R1), Flynn Palmer 800m 1:52.58 (7R2). Ben Moynihan 1500m 3:46.21 (11R2), Matthew Manning 1500m 3:50.57 (15R2).

ENGLAND

BMC Races, Watford, 11 July: Georgie Grgec 1500m 4:29.86 (5).

WELLINGTON

Athletics Wellington Cross Country Championships, Grenada North - 14 July 2018

Isaac Murphy, fifth at last weeks North Island championship came through well to win the Wellington senior title. He covered the 10km in 35:09 to head in Niam Macdonald-Joslin by 43 seconds. Malcolm Hodge was third in 36:29.

Kara Macdermid won the senior womens 10km in 41:05 from Nicole Mitchell and Maiya Christini. M35 Brian Garmonsway 36:56 from Stephen Day 37:24. Peter Stevens was first in the M50 in 39:29. MW35 Carla Denneny 46:13 from Mel MacPhee 46:54. Seamus Kane followed up his win in Taupo the previous week winning the MU/20 8km in 28:58 from Toby Gualter and Jack Hammond. National youth road champion Jayme Maxwell won the WU/20 6km in 27:01 by a wide margin over Caitlin Douglass. Liam Lamb held a ten second advantage over Noah Macdermid in the MU/18 6km in 22:33. Dylan Lynch was third in 23:09. Kirstie Rae second to Hannah OConnor in Taupo won the WU/18 4km in 15:54 beating Emma Douglass and Esther Kozyniak. Under 15 3km winners were Jack Hunter 11:32 and Maia Wilkinson 13:01. Winners in the 2km races were U/13 Joe Martin 7:48 and Phoebe Gray 8:37, U/11 George Gray 8:15 and Liliani Cuevas-Haxton 8:39.

INVERCARGILL

Athletics Southland Cross Country Championships, Waimumu - 14 July 2018

Buddy Small won the 9km event outright to win the MU/20 title. Small recorded 34:31 to lead in Raitis Kraslovskis by 31 seconds. Kraslovskis, running for the newly formed Queenstown Athletics Club, won the senior mens title competing in a borrowed pair of spikes. Craig Iversen was second senior while BJ Dickey was second U/20. Crystal Brindle won the womens title over the same distance in 41:26.

Dwight Grieve was a clear winner in 35:55 over Kelvin Meade in the MM35-49 9km. Kelly McSorily won the MM50-59 in 37:36.

Benjamin Britton collected the U/18 6km in 22:53 while Emily Hay had the U/18 womens title to herself in 28:30.

The stand out run in the junior girls came from Kimberley Iversen winning the U/12 girls 3km by almost two minutes in 14:11.

Invercargill Athletics Club won the club competition from St Pauls Harriers Club and Gore Harriers Club.

AUCKLAND

Dame Valerie Adams made a Life Member of Athletics Auckland.

Dame Valerie Adams outstanding contribution to athletics in Auckland for the past 19 years has been recognised with life membership of Athletics Auckland.

She was accorded the honour at the Associations annual general meeting on Thursday evening.

The twice Olympic and four times world champion has won 32 New Zealand titles, 11 youth, five junior and 16 senior titles while representing Auckland.

Dame Valerie won the New Zealand youth shot put and hammer throw titles in 1999 and her latest gold medal came in Hamilton in March winning her 15th senior shot put title.

It was noted in making the presentation that her achievements have been an inspiration to budding field event athletes in Auckland and throughout the country.

Athletics Auckland Merit Awards were presented to Anthony Curry and Raewyn Rodger.

Murray McKinnon was re-elected President, David Sim, who is the Chairman, and Bryce Hall were re-elected to the Board.

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