IAAF Melbourne World Challenge, Lakeside Stadium – 22 March 2014
Rising global shot put star Tom Walsh is on fire leading into his much awaited clash with Jacko Gill at the national championships this weekend in Wellington after setting a national outdoor record of 21.16m.
This improves on his 20.61m set at the Lakeside Stadium in December and was 10cm short of his New Zealand indoor record set in winning the bronze medal at the world indoor championships in Poland two weeks ago. Walsh was a class above the rest of the field with Damien Birkenhead of Australia second reaching out to 19.31m.
“I’m happy to back up my performance at World Indoors with another 21m throw, it was a good series and I knew there was more to come because I had a couple of throws in the 20.40m and 20.50m range early in the comp, which weren’t technically that good,” said Walsh.
Valerie Adams won the women’s shot with a put of 19.68m, her 45th successive victory. Adams had just arrived a few days earlier from Europe and was not fresh going into the event.
“It was one of my worst competitions for a while but a win’s a win,” said Adams.
“As an athlete I want perfection but sometimes that’s how it goes. I’ve just got back from Europe and really wanted to be here to support Oceania athletics,” she added.
Michael Cochrane scored his second victory in Australia within a month over 400m hurdles, again coming very close to the Commonwealth Games B standard with his winning time of 49.74.
“I was drawn out in lane six and went out way too fast, it was far from the perfect race but I had the energy to bring it home,” said Cochrane.
“I was gutted to be 0.04 off the Commonwealth time, but I’ll get it next time.”
Rosa Flanagan continued her amazing run this season setting a New Zealand U/20 and U/19 3000m steeplechase record of 9:56.97, just six seconds shy of the Commonwealth Games B standard. Flanagan, in finishing second to Victoria Mitchell of Australia who recorded 9:56.23, cut a second off Rebecca Forlong’s 2006 U/20 record set in Sydney and improved on her U/19 record of 10:06.87 set last week in Sydney.
Third placings went to Hamish Carson in the 1500m in 3:42.83 and Malcolm Hicks in the 5000m in 13:47.21.
New Zealand Results:
Nikki Hamblin 1500m 4:14.19 (6), Camille Buscomb 1500m 4:18.88 (10), Lucy Van Dalen 1500m 4:20.18 (11)
Fiona Morrison 100m hurdles 13.54 (-0.2) (4)
Rosa Flanagan 3000m steeplechase 9:56.97 (2) NZ U/20 and U/19 Record, Sarah McSweeney 3000m steeplechase 10:27.01 (5)
Valerie Adams shot put 19.68m (1) CGA (F, 19.68m, 19.18m, F, 19.33m, F)
Nneka Okpala triple jump 12.28m (0.0) (6) (F, F, F, 12.28m, F, F)
Sarah Cowley high jump 1.80m (5), Liz Lamb high jump 1.80m (7)
Brad Mathas 800m 1:52.71 (9)
Hamish Carson 1500m 3:42.83 (3)
Malcolm Hicks 5000m 13:47.21 (3)
Michael Cochrane 400m hurdles 49.74 (1), Daniel O’Shea 400m hurdles 50.57 (4), Cameron French 400m hurdles 51.76 (5)
Tom Walsh shot put 21.16m (1) CG A, NZ outdoors National Record (20.48m, 20.24m, 20.54m, 21.16m, F, 20.70m)
Pascal Kethers pole vault NH.
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