Athletics: Christensen battling for Olympic comeback

After months of being unable to run to the mailbox, New Zealand's top 1500m athlete Hamish Christensen is making a final, frantic dash for the Olympics.

Christensen did not run at all last summer, hit hard by the Epstein-Barr virus, which left him ill and exhausted.

But after six long, slow months of recovery, the Hawkes Bay athlete has decided to make a bid for the New Zealand Olympic team at the last qualifying event - next week's Australian track and field trials in Sydney.

Christensen is one of 38 Kiwis who will compete at the meet - many of them still holding on to their Olympic aspirations.

The qualifying mark of 3m 36s is not out of Christensen's reach: he bettered the time last year before his illness.

His coach, Alan Potts, says the young athlete is on target after running a quick 800m against some of Australia's best in Runaway Bay, Queensland, on Wednesday night.

"It's pretty good for someone who was so ill," Potts said.

"He would try to go for a run and 10 minutes later he would be walking home.

"But he's determined to do it, and he's going to run himself right out in this race."

Discus thrower Ian Winchester is aiming for his second qualifying throw to cement his place in the Olympic team, while 10,000m runner Michael Aish - who has fallen short of his mark by mere seconds - is making the trip from Colorado to impress the Kiwi selectors.

Among others with an outside chance are hurdler Zion Armstrong, sprinters Caro Hunt and Jane Arnott, Shaun Farrell in the 800m and Alan Bunce in the 5000m.

Herald Online Olympics