Athletics New Zealand - Weekly update

AUCKLAND
Throwers Meeting, Sovereign Stadium North Shore – 23 April 2011
Les Mills’ 44 year old New Zealand shot put record was broken on Saturday when 16 year old Jacko Gill hoisted the 7.26kg ball of steel out to an incredible 20.01m. The world class performance came in the second round after he had opened with 19.98m.

He broke Les Mills’ 1966 resident record of 19.51m set in Auckland in 1966 and national record of 19.80m set in Honolulu in 1967. Britain’s Geoff Capes holds the New Zealand allcomers record at 20.76m. He set the record at Mt Smart Stadium in January 1980, adding two centimetres to his own record set at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

Gill also became the youngest ever athlete by two years seven months to throw over 20 metres beating Mike Carter of America, the previous youngest. He also set world bests for 16 year old and 17 year old, improving on the 18.72m by Arnold Campbell of USA in 1983 at 16 and 19.63m by Udo Beyer of Germany in 1973 at 17. Beyer went on to win the gold medal in the shot put at the 1976 Montreal and the bronze medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

It is believed that Gill at 96kg is also the first athlete under 100kg in weight to throw over 20 metres.
“I’ve trained very hard for this, six to seven hours a day. Les Mills is right up there and to get his records is a dream in itself,” said Gill.

Mills said that he was not surprised that Gill had broken his resident and national records. “I thought Jacko was probably six months off breaking it. I’m delighted he has done it, it was time that record was broken, and by a 16 year old that’s phenomenal” said Mills.

“I look at him with a lot of awe, it is not only a physical thing but a huge mental thing that drives a young man like that to train five to six hours a day. He could be our greatest ever athlete and that is saying something with Peter Snell out there,” said Mills who represented New Zealand at four Olympic and four Commonwealth Games.

At only 17 at the time of next year’s London Olympic Games Mills believes he could be amongst the medals in the shot put. “Who would know what this young man can do. Never has there been in the history of athletics a thrower like Jacko, he could be the greatest young shot putter that’s ever been,” added Mills.

Gill’s father Walter, New Zealand shot put champion in 1987 with 16.05m and in 1989 with 16.19m, said that Jacko’s performance was incredible.

“He had done 19.10m in training and was consistently out to 18.60m to 18.70m so when he did 19.98m in the opening round I thought that was it, he will have to live with that for the next year, but he is very competitive and has that x factor.

“To then come out in the next round and do 20.01m that now ranks him 14th in the world this year was incredible,” said Walter.

Reese Hoffa of America leads the world rankings with 21.56m. The world record is 23.12m held set American Randy Barnes in 1990.

CHINA
IAAF Race Walking Challenge, Taicang – 24 April 2011
Quentin Rew finished 14th in the 50km walk in a personal best by over eight minutes of 4h 6m 57s. This time is under the B performance standard of 4h 9m for the Daegu World Championships in August. It was Rew’s third ever 50km race walk, with his progression to his latest effort being October 2009 4h 52m 55s and October 2010 4h 25m 19s. He is now ranked third all time in New Zealand behind Craig Barrett 3h 48m 7s and Tony Sargisson 3h 58m 5s.

Chinese athletes took the first three placings in the race in China, Si Tianfeng winning in 3h 38m 48s.

INGLEWOOD
Grade 12-13 Interprovincial Meeting, TET Stadium, Jubilee Park – 23/24 April 2011
Canterbury won the competition from Auckland and Wellington with Waikato Bay of Plenty fourth, Counties Manukau fifth and Otago sixth.

Individual age group winners were G12 Larissa McKewen (Canterbury), B12 Sheldon Tovio (Counties Manuaku), G13 Meg Adamson (Southland), B13 Jordan Pinnock (Canterbury).



ROUND-UP OF ROAD RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY
SpecSavers Hastings half marathon 17 April: Ross McIntyre 1h 13m 59s from Paul Herlihy 1h 15m 44s, Ruby Muir 1h 25m 45s.
Run Auckland 10km Series Te Atatu 17 April: Joshua Rawlinson 33m 59s, Lisa Robertson 35m 25s.
Pakuranga 5km 18 April: Peter Wheeler 17m 39s, Megan Blackett 20m 12s.
Honest Lawyer 5km Nelson 18 April: Stuart Hodgkiss 18m 18s, Colette Reid 20m 16s.
O’Hagan’s Viaduct 5km Auckland 19 April: Gavin Stevens 16m 17s, Alison Bogie 18m 26s.
Rat Race 5km Takapuna 20 April: Cameron Graves 14m 33s from Thomas Currie 15m 42s. Katie Wright 16m 50s from Tara La Grange 18m 57s.

NZ Team Management Positions
Athletics New Zealand has announced the following team management appointments.
2011 World Mountain Running Champs, Tirana, Albania, 11 September
Team Manager: Barry Ellis
2011 Commonwealth Mountain Running Champs, North Wales, 23-25 September
Team Manager: Barry Ellis
2011 Commonwealth Ultra Marathon Championships, North Wales, 23-25 September
Team Manager: John Muskett

2011 adidas Auckland Half Marathon reaches capacity in just two weeks
This year’s adidas Auckland Marathon half marathon has sold out in less than 2 weeks.
Stephen Brown, managing director said the level of interest once again has been unprecedented for a major running event in New Zealand.

“The field limit for the half marathon has reached capacity more than 6 months before race day.
“This year the total half and full marathon field size was increased to 10,500 participants and yet the half marathon event has sold out much earlier than last year,” said Brown. “The full marathon is already over 70 per cent full which also represents a considerably higher entry rate this year.
“We are delighted with this number of entrants in the marathon distance cementing it as easily New Zealand’s largest full marathon event,” added Brown.

Up to this morning over 2400 entries have been received for the full marathon.

Entries are still available in the quarter marathon, 5km run and walk and KIDSMARATHON events that feature as part of the adidas Auckland Marathon.

The event takes place on Sunday 30 October 2011.