Athletics: Speck in the distance

While the concept of a New Zealand 4x100m relay team is not as far-fetched as a Jamaican bobsleigh team, the fact one of its members took up sprinting just two-and-a-half years ago certainly adds some intrigue.

Meet 28-year-old Carl van der Speck, third-placed finisher in Friday's 100m final and the national track and field champs and thereby the third confirmed starter in the 4 x 100m relay in Melbourne alongside winner James Dolphin and runner-up Chris Donaldson.

"It was pretty nerve-wracking you know," van der Speck, who ran 10.62s, said. "But hey, it was a great event. It was great to run against guys like James Dolphin and Chris Donaldson. It's great competition."

The fourth runner could be picked as early as next week at the Australian champs at Sydney. David Falealili finished fourth in Friday's final but it is understood his 10.65s failed to impress Athletics New Zealand's high-performance director Eric Hollingsworth.

The other front-runners have their own problems. Donald MacDonald was scratched from the event with a calf injury and it is unclear whether he will travel to Australia. Dallas Roberts was only ninth fastest in heats and missed the final. But none of that will stress van der Speck.

The South African-born sprinter came to New Zealand eight years ago and is based in Auckland. Running is very much a part-time business as he works fulltime at Croxley's stationers in Avondale.

"My life is pretty much split between running and work," he said. Asked whether he might have trouble getting leave in March, van der Speck said: "I don't think so."

That van der Speck will be travelling to Melbourne at all is something of a shock.

The selection procedure also helped. Even though a relay team of Dolphin, Roberts, Falealili and Donaldson ran a blistering 38.99s at the New South Wales championships recently - breaking the New Zealand record and the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 39.30s - they were not guaranteed a spot in the relay. The first three home in the 100m final gained automatic selection, with the fourth a discretionary choice by the selectors unless an athlete breaks the 100m individual qualifying time.

But no one saw Speck coming. Why? "I only took it up two-and-a-half years ago," he said.

Van der Speck's fiancee Kim Newman is a runner, who finished sixth in the 5000m. "She got me into sprinting and I was away." All the way to Melbourne. "I know. It's unbelievable."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY