Athletics New Zealand - Weekly update

DUNEDIN

New Zealand Track and Field Championships, Caledonian Stadium – 25 / 27 March 2011
A successful 2011 New Zealand Track & Field championships was completed over three days of contrasting weather patterns in Dunedin over the weekend. From a bitterly cold strong wind on day one, to a perfect sunny day on Saturday to heavy rain and gale force winds yesterday.

Promising athletes to emerge from the championships were Alex Jordan, who stepped up from his M19 grade to win the senior 200m, 400m double. His 46.40s is the sixth equal best time by a New Zealander. National surf lifesaving senior sand sprint champion Kodi Harman of Papamoa Bay of Plenty who cleaned up the M16 sprint double, Kieron McDonald winner of the M16 800m and 1500m, Julian Oakley’s impressive win in the M19 1500m, Marshall Hall who keeps on improving each time he steps into the discus circle, Kristie Baillie 200m and 400m W19 winner, Matt Baxter M16 3000m champion and second in the 1500m Jesse Bryant M16 long jump champion and Nicholas Gerrard who looks to have a great future in the decathlon event following his string of top performances over the three days which included 2.02m in the M19 high jump.

Sarah Cowley assisted Auckland’s medal count with wins in the senior long jump 6.08m and high jump 1.84m, and seconds in the 100m hurdles and shot put.

Auckland finished the championships with 113 medals, consisting of 47 gold, 39 silver and 27 bronze. Waikato Bay of Plenty were second on the medals table 23 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze for a total of 53 medals followed by Canterbury 17 gold, 18 silver, 21 bronze (56 medals). Other Centres were Wellington 41, Otago 39, Southland 23, Manawatu Wanganui 14, Taranaki 9, Tasman 8 and Hawkes Bay and Gisborne 7 medals.

AUCKLAND
New Zealand Track & Field Championships 2012
Athletics New Zealand has announced that the 2012 New Zealand Track and Field championships will be held in Auckland. The event will celebrate the 125th anniversary of Athletics New Zealand and will double as a 2012 Olympic Trial event. The date and venue will be announced shortly. Athletics New Zealand Events Manager Will Stewart said “We are stepping up the promotion and presentation of our key events and the Track & Field Championships is our flagship event, so Athletics New Zealand and the local organising committee are going to ensure that Auckland 2012 will be a fantastic championship event.’

UNITED STATES
New York City Half Marathon – 20 March 2011
Fiona Docherty ran a personal best of 1h 12m 49s to finish 14th in the women’s field and second in the 35-39 age group. Docherty’s splits were 5km 17m 9s, 10km 34m 41s, 15km 51m 59s, 20km 1h 9m 12s. In last year’s race she was 17th and fifth in her age group of 30-34 in 1h 16m 33s. Docherty wanted to get in a solid race before competing in the London Marathon on 17 April.

“I was fit, injury free and in a super competitive field. I also had a slight advantage of knowing the course,” said Docherty. “My aim in this race was to run 1:13 but as I got to 400m to go, I heard a friend yell “GO FEE – you can break 73”. By this stage it was looking like a repeat of the sprint finish in Miami with the Ethiopian, Aziza Aliyu. I dug it in and gave it all I had but she had that little kick beating me again by 2 seconds. However I did break 73 and ran 1:12:49 - almost a 2 minute PR. I was on cloud nine and still am!” she added.

North Dartmouth, Massachusettes – 20 March 2011
For the second year in a row Kimberley Smith won the New Bedford half marathon. Smith recorded 1h 9m 50s, 1m 5s faster than last year. She used the race as preparation for the Boston Marathon on 18 April. Smith finished 14th overall in a field of 2750 and nearly five minutes ahead of the next woman Diana Bowser. The women’s race record is 1h 8m 32s set by Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway in 1989.