Tauranga sprinter Joseph Millar is launching a last-ditch Olympic qualifying effort in Europe after receiving private funding to assist his bid.
Millar, 23, who has held the title of New Zealand's fastest man since 2012, will be based in Lee Valley, London, for the next six weeks. There he will be training with some of Britain's top athletes, and competing in meets most weekends to give himself every chance to post the qualifying standard for Rio before the July 10 cut-off.
Millar came close to the IAAF "A" qualifying times - which Kiwi athletes need to meet to gain nomination - in the 100m and 200m over the summer. His season personal best of 20.77 in the 200m is .17 off the "A" standard, while he is .13 outside the magic mark of 10.20 in the 100m.
He said his bid to qualify in New Zealand wasn't helped by a series of disruptions in competition, with officials inexplicably rescheduling races, while in one Auckland meet he was thrown out of a race for not wearing the right singlet.