Putaruru Bell Meeting, Porritt Stadium

Julia Ratcliffe erased Valerie Adams from the record book in the W17, W18 and W19 hammer throw with a New Zealand record breaking throw of 58.89m at Porritt Stadium on Saturday. Ratcliffe, now 17, also holds the national W16 hammer record with 56.68m, giving her a clean sweep of hammer records from W16 to W19.

Ratcliffe said the record coming at the beginning of the season was a surprise.
“I’ve done it in training but I didn’t expect it in competition at this stage – the goal was to do it at the end of the season it came sooner than expected,” said Ratcliffe.

“The next goal now is 60 metres.”

This could well come at the New Zealand secondary schools championships in Hastings in December.
Ratcliffe has recovered well from a sprained ankle which she sustained just before the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.

“I still competed finishing 11th,” she said. 

Ratcliffe was 11th in the qualifying rounds with 50.41m and second in the B final with 50.49m.
Adams set the previous W17, W18 and W19 record of 58.75m in New Caledonia in 2002.