Athletics NZ weekly roundup 26 March 2018

AUCKLAND

Sir Graeme Douglas International Track Challenge, Douglas Track and Field Henderson - 25 March 2018

Tom Walsh was outstanding with the best put of his career, a 22.67m effort that set four records, the New Zealand allcomers record of 22.15m held by Ryan Crouser in Auckland last year, his own pending resident record of 22.06m set in Timaru just under two weeks ago, his own national record of 22.31m set in winning the world indoor title in Birmingham three weeks ago and an improvement on his own Oceania record.

Walsh had an excellent series of throws starting with 21.34m the record came next 22.67m followed by 21.45m, 21.42m, a foul and 21.00m.

The world outdoor and indoor champion said that he knew he was in that type of shape.

"It felt pretty easy and it felt pretty good and I got through it really well and I knew it was far I just didnt know it was quite that far. I know I was in that type of shape so its just great to put that one throw together," said a delighted Walsh.

He had hoped to throw even further in the remaining rounds.

"Bit of a shame about the rest of the throws I felt like I just missed a few of them off the hand but Ill take that big one, the worlds biggest throw in 15 years so its not too bad.

"I was in pretty good shape going into the world indoors and I knew that coming another three or four weeks later Id be in better shape as long as I could stay mentally fresh and ready to throw far so looking at Comm Games its looking pretty good for another two and a half weeks till were there and hopefully Ill be dropping some more bombs," he said.

Walshs throw is the ninth all-time best throw and now ranks him sixth equal all-time with Keith Toth of USA who threw the same distance in 2003. He now lies just 45cm short of the 1990 world record of 23.12m set by Randy Barnes (USA), who was later given a life ban for two doping offences.

Walsh said a crack at the world record is tempting.

"Its getting closer and closer, every day it gets more and more of a possibility we always talk about throwing it but the closer and closer you get to it the more and more you believe and considering how easy that was (the 22.67m) I think its there.

"I just know that Ive got more up my sleeve still," he added.

American Ryan Whiting was second with a respectable 20.99m with Konrad Bukowiecki (Poland) third with 20.75m.

Whiting was pleased with his third time down under to compete again with Walsh.

"Its been great, more of an experience than a lot of other places and its fun.

"Todays performance is on the right track, there is always a lot more in there but a couple of more meets I think Ill be where I want to be.

"I go home for a month and then Tom (Walsh) comes over to train for a month which should be fun," said Whiting.

Ryan Ballantyne had a PB 17.19m and Nick Palmer also a PB 16.72m.

Dame Valerie Adams improved again to post a best of 18.48m in the womens shot put, the same distance as Canadian Brittany Crew, but winning the competition with a superior second best throw (18.30m to 18.24m).

Adams series was 18.48m, x, 18.22m, 18.27m, 18.04m, 18.30m.

The throws signals further improvement for the double Olympic and triple Commonwealth Champion in her third competition back after an 18 month break which included the birth of her daughter five months ago.

"Its been good, it is slowly coming out now that I have been doing in training. I felt like this week something clicked in training so that was a positive and I wanted to come out and see what it would do in a competition.

"Im pretty happy with 18.48m, all my throws were over 18 metres, I havent done that since having a baby so again I like to call that a PB PB a post baby PB.

"I now looking forward now to three weeks of training, tapering and then heading into the GCs," said Adams.

Adams looks forward to her fifth Commonwealth Games and vows to do her best to medal yet again.

"All I want to do on the Gold Coast is give the GC the best athlete I can be on that day and whoever throws the furthest is going to win on the day and Im going to make sure that I bring my A game come the 13th of April," she added.

Crew said that count backs dont often happen in the shot put.

"It was a very close contest decided by a count back, I dont think that usually happens in the shot put. It was really fun actually I had a really good time doing that.

"Im pretty excited, Im shaping up on tonights form and Im so consistent right now, its crazy Ive never thrown back to back 18s like that," she said.

"Its amazing competing against someone like Valerie, shes a legend, she pushes me and Ive been pushing her, I think its been a little bit of a struggle with her having a baby not too long ago. I hope I can push her and she can push me."

Crew said it is shaping up to a great competition on the Gold Coast

"Theres about three or four of us into the mix and it will be really close I think and its going to be a really fun competition."

Tori Owers of Canterbury was third with a seasons best of 17.01m.

Also in the competition Dame Valeries sister Lisa Adams set an NZ F37 Para record throwing 11.38m to add almost a metre to her own national mark.

Eliza McCartney was slightly disappointed with her winning height of 4.75m in the pole vault despite it being just 0.07m short of her best. She went on to three close attempts at what would have been a national record and personal best 4.85m.

"Im consistently hitting those 70s and being consistent is good obviously so I cant be upset with that and attempting PBs which is always good," said McCartney.

"It wasnt quite coming together today, and that happens sometimes and I know that my training at the moment is going so well its just a matter of getting it together on the day at the Commonwealth Games.

"The crowd was really getting in to it which is always good and you get a lot of energies from that, it was nice to have everybody so close."

Thats it now for McCartney before the Commonwealth Games.

"At the moment our plan is to train here and then go over to the village and train there and go for it," she added.

Imogen Ayris moved her personal best up to 4.20m to improve her chances at the 2018 World Junior Championships later this year.

Nick Southgate won a close battle with Canadian vaulter Deryk Theodore, both clearing 5.28m but the Gold Coast-bound Southgate taking the win with fewer failures.

On the track, Joseph Millar was again frustrated with head winds but came out on top, winning the mens 100m 10.75 (-2.3) and 200m (-1.0) by wide margins.

Guernsey international Cameron Chalmers took the win in the mens 400m over Kiwi training partner Cameron French in 46.45, French recording 46.88 while Sam Petty ran a tenacious 800m winning in 1:51.15. Michael Goldie was third in the 400m in a PB 48.35. National 400m champion Brooke Cull won the womens 400m in 54.83 from Katrina Anderson 56.57.

The Sir John Walker Junior mile went to Theo Quax in a personal best of 4:08.16, ten seconds ahead of fellow Aucklander James Uhlenberg and Benjamin Wall from Manawatu Whanganui.

Autumn Throws, AUT Millennium Stadium, North Shore, 24 March: Anthony Nobilo 7.26kg HT 54.07m, Rizvan Caukwell 39.55m PB. Nobilo 6kg HT 64.77m. Isaac Vaeau Mulitalo 5kg HT 48.73m PB, Jyden Williamson 47.38m PB. Grace Penberthy 3kg SP 12.03m PB. Savannah Scheen 3kg HT 43.07m.

PALMERSTON NORTH

Jumps in Paradise Meeting, Manawatu Community Athletic Track - 24 March 2018

Stadium records to Hamish Kerr and Matt Walsh highlighted the Jumps in Paradise meeting held to celebrate the resurfacing of the Manawatu Community Athletic Track in Palmerston North.

Having to contend with a wet surface after some heavy showers during the competition national champion Hamish Kerr was successful in clearing 2.16m bettering the stadium record of 2.12m set by Australian Brandon Strac in 2011. Keeley O'Hagen was just short of the stadium record of 1.82m in winning the womens high jump with a 1.81m clearance. Emma Sutherland was over at 1.74m. Matt Walsh bettered the stadium record for a 19 year old on three occasions in winning the open triple jump with a best of 14.55m (-0.2). Scott Thomson was second with 14.26m (-1.3). Anna Thomson jumped 12.44m (+0.3) to win the womens triple jump. Jordan Peters and Matthew Wyatt swapped the lead through-out the long jump, Wyatt taking the lead with his second round leap of 6.72m after having fouled his first two attempts Peters responded to the pressure to take the lead with 6.80m. In round five Wyatt was back in the lead with 6.89m (+0.1) which Peters just failed to match with 6.88m. However in the final round Peters was out to the winning jump of 7.15m (+1.5). Corrina Minko proved to be the best of the women's long jumpers leading throughout the competition with her best leap being 5.89m (+0.8) comfortably ahead of Ashleigh Bennett,

WELLINGTON

Grand Prix Meeting No 4 and 5000m Championships, Newtown Park - 24 March 2018

Personal bests were posted in the 5000m by Daniel Jones 14:38.88, Harry Burnard 14:57.53, Niam Macdonald 14:59.79 and Malcolm Hodge 15:04.41. Nicole Mitchell 5000m 17:25.13 mx PB, Melissa Black 18:15.81 mx. Daniel Du Toit 5000m RW 26:39.97. Corinne Smith 10,000m RW from the previous week 55:06. Saravee Sos 100m 11.26 (+1.7), 200m 22.76 (+2.8). Esther Kozyniak 1500m 4:44.18 PB mx, Maali Kyle-Ford 1500m 4:46.66 PB mx. Hamish Lock HJ 1.80m, 110m H 914mm 15.46 (+1.7). Nathaniel Sulupo 2kg DT 50.02m. Henry Malthus 800g JT 47.96m. Montaya Wharehinga 4kg HT 49.91m.

TIMARU

South Island Secondary Schools Championships, Aorangi Stadium - 23/25 March 2018

Alex Dawson U/19 100m 10.96 (+0.4). Sam King 200m 22.87 (-1.4), 400m 50.46. John Gerber 400m 50.30. Hamish Mears SP 15.28m, DT 48.96m. Thomas Valentine HT 58.39m. Luke Murray HJ 1.93m. Cody House 110m H 15.19 (-0.7), LJ 6.26m (-0.7). Samantha Hardie 200m 26.17 (-1.6), 400m 57.74. Lexi Richards PV 3.10m. Eliza Meekings U/16 PV 3.20m. Jaidyn Busch SP 13.81m. Brianna Fidow LJ 5.23m (-1.4). Alice Ritchie 2000m RW 10:55.17. Liliana Braun 3000m 10:15.13, 2000m steeplechase 7:17.12. Maia Anderson-Broughton U/16 100m 12.66 (+0.6), 200m 25.47 (-0.8), 400m 57.19.

Invitational events: Mitchell Small 3000m 8:17.99 PB. Chris Dryden 10,000m 31:08.48.

AUSTRALIA

CBR 48 Hour Track Race, AIS Canberra, 16/18 March 2018: Wayne Botha 280.472km (4).

Summer of Athletics Grand Prix, QSAC Brisbane, 22 March: Nick Smith 100m 10.94 (NWR) (3RB).

SOUTH AFRICA

RSA Secondary Schools Championships, Potchefstroom, 24 March: Mine De Klerk 3kg SP 16.03m PB, 500g JT 45.32m PB.

OBITUARY

Historian, writer and athlete David Colquhoun of Masterton died on Sunday 18 March 2018, aged 65.

Colquhoun was curator of manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington where the Jack Lovelock papers are held. As the senior research librarian he was able to access these papers and incorporate them into a book he wrote "As if Running on Air", the journals of Jack Lovelock. Quote from Roger Robinson, "This is one of the great books of world running literature. Never have the private writings of such a great athlete been presented via such expert scholarship. It's more than an excellent editing job. David Colquhoun's introductions to each section of the journals together provide the most accurate and revealing biography ever done of Lovelock the runner. Colquhoun is always thoughtful and uncontentious, but he quietly rescued the real Lovelock from the sensationalism of some fictitious versions."

Colquhoun also did important work at the Library in creating a national archive of the history of athletics in New Zealand and producing the wonderful Cmon Jack exhibition at the Library.

He was a keen masters runner, regularly competing in the Wellington region, running many 5kms and half marathons. He also ventured into mountain-running and decided to take advantage of Wellington's hilly topography by establishing the Wellington Scottish Athletics Club's 3 Peaks event in 2000. It has become a permanent feature of the Wellington running community's winter season. He was a member of the Scottish winning MM50 national road relay team in 2008 in Mosgiel.

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