Athletics: Hulls chosen for junior worlds again

GIANT STRIDE: Georgia Hulls is back at the worlds. PHOTO/NZME.

Talented Hawke's Bay schoolgirl Georgia Hulls in among elite age-group performers Athletics New Zealand yesterday named for the 2016 World Under 20 Track & Field Championship to be held Poland.

Sixteen athletes (nine women and seven men) have been selected for the July 19-24 event.

Twelve members of the team make up the men's and women's 4x100m relay squads and various 100m and 200m events, while two 800m runners, a shot putter and a hammer thrower complete the team.

Such is the current strength of junior women's sprinting in New Zealand, three athletes have qualified for the 100m and four for the 200m. Each country can name up to three athletes for each event and two can run at the championships.

Lucy Sheat, the fastest over 200m, setting New Zealand U18 and U17 records in March this year, has decided to concentrate on the 100m and relay.

Sprinters Zoe Hobbs and Georgia Hulls and shot putter Madison-Lee Wesche have all represented New Zealand at IAAF World Under-18 championship.

New Zealand has won three golds at previous World Under-20 championships, all in shot put, to Valerie Adams and Jacko Gill (2), while there have been five other medallists over the 16 editions of the championships since 1986.

The most recent medallist is pole vaulter Eliza McCartney (bronze in 2014) who recently finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships.

Athletics New Zealand high performance development leader Tim Driesen will lead the team.

MEN

200m: Hamish Gill.

800m: James Preston

4x100m relay: Jordan Bolland, Hamish Gill, Jarvis Hansen, Ethan Holman, Jake Hurley, Jacob Matson.

WOMEN

100m: Zoe Hobbs, Georgia Hulls, Lucy Sheat.

200m: Zoe Hobbs, Georgia Hulls, Olivia Eaton

800m: Alison Andrews-Paul

4x100m relay: Olivia Eaton, Georgia Hulls, Zoe Hobbs, Lucy Sheat, Brooke Somerfield, Briana Stephenson

Shotput: Maddison-Lee Wesche.

Hammer: Lauren Bruce.