Top Asian sprinters training in Tauranga

TOP CLASS: Singapore sprinters Kerstin Ong, left, and Shanti Pereria training at Tauranga Domain. PHOTO:ANDREW WARNER

There are many advantages to having Athletics New Zealand's head sprinting and relays coach, Kerry Hill, based in Tauranga.

One is local athletes get to train with some world class athletes who are drawn away from the northern winter to spend time with Hill.

Two of the best sprinters inSouth East Asia, Shanti Pereria, 20, and Kerstin Ong, 19, both from Singapore, have been working with Hill and their own coach Margaret Oh at Tauranga Domain.

The athletes are here to try and qualify for this year's Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) at three athletic meetings over the next week. The games are held every two years involving 11 countries.

Hill was director of coaching in Singapore 20 years ago and has continued that rapport with the region ever since.

"We have kept in touch and the (Asian Athletics Association) sent some athletes down here to stay with me for a year 10 years ago," he said.

"Shanti is a 100 metre hurdler who has run low 14 seconds which is class and puts her in the box seat to medal at the SEA Games. Kerstin is a 100/200metre sprinter and her PB is faster than any New Zealander has run in the last two years."

Hill says there is much to gain for our Western Bay athletes training with the two sprinters.

"We have trained with them at the Adams Centre For High Performance at Blake Park and had a couple of track sessions with them as well. Most of our better senior squad are going to travel with them all (this) week.

"It increases the concentration and the profile for our local athletes when they are mixing with them. They see other things and we cross fertilise some of the training techniques.

"(Margaret) and I will also chew the fat over the next week on things like training,
especially in the relays. They are passionate about relays over that way and Singapore really pours a lot of resources into it with a small number of athletes.

"Her hurdles ideas help me out here. It is just a good connection for us to have for our high performance department going forward as well."

Coach Oh is on her first trip to New Zealand. She has enjoyed swapping ideas with Hill and is hopeful of getting some real competition for her athletes.

"The standard of girls' running in Singapore can't match up with Shanti, so she has no competition. We are hoping the girls will push her here," Oh said.

"I am quite open about ideas. I would like to learn from other coaches and if I find things that are useful I will apply in my training when I get back. We have just come back from a month training in Munich and I learnt quite a number of things there."

Singapore's top sprinter Shanti is focused on running as fast as she can to hit the qualifying times.

"Yes I am looking forward to having some strong competition coming up. I need to run 11.88 for 100 and 23.92 for the 200 to qualify. I am confident about the 100 as my real speed is there so I think I can do pretty well there but I am not so sure about the 200."