Sylvia Allen (middle) at the medal ceremony after winning the Under-16 women's 800 metres at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Auckland.
Sylvia Allen (middle) at the medal ceremony after winning the Under-16 women's 800 metres at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships in Auckland.
She was sitting on the inside lane in third place through the first lap and remained there with 150 to go.
With about 80m remaining, a gap opened, Sylvia turned on the afterburners and powered away to win.
Wearing the Hawke’s Bay Gisborne centre colours, Sylvia finished 0.39s clear of Olivia McLean (Auckland), with Charlotte Hawkins (Southland) third in 2m 16.45s.
Sylvia also posted PBs in her heat and the final of the 400m, placing fourth in a time of 1m 04s.
Gisborne teenager Sylvia Allen, a student at Iona College in Hawke's Bay, recorded four personal best times on the way to finishing fourth in the 400m and winning the 800m for her age group at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships.
Her mother said Sylvia followed a daily training programme in Gisborne over the summer break, so it was “kind of special” to see that work converted to success.
The former Central School and Gisborne Intermediate student’s training “took off” last year through Hastings Athletics Club under coach Richard Potts.
Two-time Commonwealth Games athlete Potts was delighted with her performance at the nationals.
“She was fantastic,” he said. “She was a little bit nervous before the race, but we talked through race tactics and she went out and did it.”
Patience was key.
“I told her ‘just be patient ... when you come around that last bend ... trust your kick’. She was a little boxed in, but it opened up for her.”
Potts noted the progress she had made since the national secondary schools athletics champs in Hastings, at which she also ran a PB.
Sylvia is in action next week at the East Coast North Island Secondary Schools athletics meeting in Hastings and if she is selected for the ECNI team, she will compete at the North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Champs in Papakura at the end of the month.
The coincidence of Sylvia Allen’s name is not lost on Potts, who is the son of the late Sylvia and Allan Potts.
Sylvia Potts is one of the country’s middle distance greats, competing at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and two Commonwealth Games.
Allan was the New Zealand 10-mile champion in 1964, coached his wife, was track and field coach for the New Zealand team at the 1992 Barcelona Games and Athletics NZ president from 2002-03.
The pair coached many young athletes over the years, particularly at Hastings Athletics Club.
Hawke’s Bay’s major track and field event was named the Sylvia Potts Classic after her death in 1999 and renamed the Allan and Sylvia Potts Classic after Allan passed away in 2014.
The 27th edition of “the Potts Classic” was held in January.
