Budding Olympians in action: Sprint star Zoe Hobbs wins 100m at Hastings’ Potts Classic

New Zealand's sprinting golden girl Zoe Hobbs in action on Saturday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Budding Kiwi Olympians hoping to fly the flag in Paris converged on Hastings’ Potts Classic at the weekend led by sprint star Zoe Hobbs.

Some of New Zealand’s brightest track and field stars were in action at the major athletics event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday at Mitre 10 Sports Park.

Hobbs, 26, who is based in Auckland, won the 100m women’s final relatively comfortably in a time of 11.39s, following a blistering start.

It is the seventh time she has won the event at the Potts Classic.

Last year, Hobbs became the first woman in Oceania to run a sub-11-second 100m, and she has met qualification standards for the Olympics being held in Paris in July.

“It is great to be here in Hawke’s Bay for the first race of the season and nice to kick off a big year with the Potts Classic,” she said.

“My focus coming into today was to get those first races under my belt and to make it feel as smooth and relaxed as I could.

Rylan Noome from Hastings Athletics Club (right) finished second in the men's 100m final at the Potts Classic. Photo / Paul Taylor

“I head overseas shortly with World Indoors in the mix, then I’ll be back to New Zealand for nationals, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Other athletics stars who were in action at the Classic, and are hoping to qualify for the Olympics, included Connor Bell (discus), Lauren Bruce (hammer), James Preston and Sam Tanner (both 800m), and Portia Bing (400m hurdle).

In the men’s 100m, Cody Wilson (Mana) edged a tight battle in the men’s 100m final of 10.71s, just edging Hastings Athletics Club’s Rylan Noome (10.79).

It would have been a huge result for local lad Noome if he had managed to nose ahead of Wilson.

Meanwhile, Hawke’s Bay-raised Laura Nagel had perhaps the best result of any local at the Classic, winning the marquee Sylvia Potts Memorial 800m race.

Nagel revealed her extraordinary versatility to dethrone Holly Manning (another Hawke’s Bay-raised athlete) in the race - courtesy of a near three-second PB in a time of 2m 5.37s.

Nagel is the national 1500m, 3000m and 5000m champion and originally hails from Napier.

James Preston produced a dazzling early season performance to record a stunning meet record mark of 1m 45.89s on his way to a fourth successive victory in the Allan Potts Memorial 800m.