New Zealand Olympic shot putter Jacko Gill will be the star attraction in the Highland Heavyweight Championship at the Waipu Games on New Year's Day, but he will face some tough competition for the prestigious title.
The 146th Waipu Highland Games will be held at Caledonian Park on January 1, with a wide range of Celtic games, activities and culture on display at the popular event that sees thousands bring in the New Year in Northland.
Pat Hadlee, from the Waipu Caledonian Society which organises the games, said Gill would no doubt excel at the throwing events in the Heavyweight Championship, but she suspected he may need work in some of the other disciplines, such as tossing the caber
and tossing the sheaf.
But with some very experienced heavyweight competitors also taking part, the event would likely be one of the highlights of the games.
"Scottish heavyweight events are the original extreme sports. The feats performed by these competitors would leave most Olympic athletes in awe," Ms Hadlee said.