13 September: Zane Robertson provided New Zealand’s top placing on the first day of competition at the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech.
MOROCCO
IAAF Continental Cup, Great Stadium, Marrakech, Morocco
– 13/14 Sept 2014
Robertson, competing for the Asia-Pacific team, finished second in a very tactical 5000m race in 13:29.27, behind favourite Isiah Koech’s 13:26.86.
The race provided the Kiwi Commonwealth bronze medallist his best ever pay day, pocketing $US15,000 for his efforts to end a very good season for the African based Hamilton athlete.
Kenyan Koech, the Glasgow Commonwealth 5000m silver medallist took maximum points for the African team.
Tom Walsh finished fourth in the shot put, throwing 20.70, behind the 21.55 winning effort of world champion David Storl, competing for Europe.
Walsh led the contest after the opening round with a 20.55 toss, but Storl, Commonwealth champion O’Dayne Richards and the 2014 world leader Joe Kovacs all moved past the New Zealander in the second round. Walsh responded with a longer third attempt to keep current Olympic champion Tomas Majewski behind him. The $US7,000 prize money will be a welcome reward in a very satisfying first international season for the Timaru thrower.
Nick Willis finished sixth in a 1500m race with a very slow early pace and a frantic finish.
The race was won by world indoor champion Ayanleh Souleiman in a slow 3:48.91 from teammate Asbel Kiprop to give the African team maximum points. Willis finished just over a second behind the winner in 3:50.00.
Angie Smit finished seventh in the 800m in 2:02.37, Mike Cochrane was eighth in the 400m hurdles in 52.93 and Louise Jones eighth in the 400m in 55.07.
14 September: Defending champion Valerie Adams was forced out of the Continental Cup shot put during the warm-up. Adams received a painkiller injection for an ongoing shoulder problem just before the competition started but it hit a nerve and made the double Olympic champion’s hands numb.
A very upset Adams was distraught at not being able to compete in what would have been her final meeting of the season before returning to New Zealand.
Adams’ manager Nick Cowan said “It’s very upsetting for Valerie. She has managed her season this year with injuries very well and it was unfortunate today she couldn’t complete her season as she planned. The focus now is for her to get home and work with her medical team on the long term strategies and solutions to get back to 100 percent fitness and form.”
Christina Schwanitz of Germany won with 20.02m from Michelle Carter of USA 19.84m and Lijiao Gong of China 19.23m.
Nick Willis followed up his sixth place in the 1500m with a fourth place in the 3000m. In a slow race with a blistering finish, Willis was not able to match the 54 second final lap of winner Caleb Ndiku competing for the African team. Willis clocked 7:55.50 behind the Commonwealth 5000m champion’s 7:52.64.
Sarah Cowley, with a clearance of 1.79m, finished seventh in the high jump. Cowley was also drafted into the 100m hurdles at the last minute and finished eighth in 15.30 (+0.7).
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