Robinson wins silver for NZ at Commonwealth Youth Champs

Middle distance star Katrina Robinson ran a superb race in the womens 3000m at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas, winning the silver medal, one better than her bronze in the 1500m two days ago.

The 16 year old Brisbane-based Robinson always stayed near the front of the pack in the slow early stages of the race, opening up in the last lap to move up from fourth to second, and claim silver in 9:27.40 behind Kenyan Emmaculate Chepkirui who ran 9:25.20.

"It was really hot and no one wanted to take the lead so it was a slow and tactical race until the finish which was really quick and tough. I tried to stay relaxed as long as possible and kick at the end and it worked really well," said Robinson.

"It means a lot and its a great experience, to get two medals is more than I could have asked for," she added.

Hannah OConnor, from New Plymouth placed eighth in the race, well outside her best, perhaps showing the effects of the 1500m final where she lowered her best by six seconds.

Sprinter James Guthrie-Croft placed fifth in his semi-final, a position that could have seen him make the final as one of the fastest outside the top three in each race, but he was not quite faster enough into the head wind and bowed out with a ranking of tenth, an improvement on his 12th in the 100m.

With one day remaining in the athletes programme at the championships, the small New Zealand team has five medals - one gold (Connor Bell - discus), three silvers (Nick Palmer - shot put, Tatiana Kaumoana - discus and Robinson - 3000m) and a bronze (Robinson - 1500m).

Athletics finishes at the Games on Monday (NZ time) with Imogen Skelton from Wellington contesting the womens high Jump.

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