Hulls ousted in World heats, but it's been a good year

Hawke's Bay sprinter Georgia Hulls has bowed-out of her first World Athletics Championships afters finishing sixth in her heat of specialty event the 200 metres in the US. Photo Supplied

Hawke's Bay sprinter Georgia Hulls has bowed out of her first World Athletics Championships after finishing sixth in her heat of specialty event the 200 metres in the US.

One of a group who have shattered New Zealand sprinting records over the last year, her run came on the fourth day of the championships in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday (Tuesday afternoon, New Zealand time), but elimination came despite what she later reckoned was her best first 120m.

Faltering in the straight, she entered the straight with a shot at a top-three placing and automatic semi-final qualification amid disaster for favoured sprinter Anthonique Strachan, of the Bahamas, who pulled-up injured in the outside lane when in third place.

It was one of the strongest field of the heats, including sub-22 second athletes Favour Ofili, of Nigeria and who won the heat in 22.24sec, and Jenna Prandini, of the US who ran 22.38sec. Australian Jacinta Beecher was third in 23.22sec.

Commentators later said the three semi-finals were filled with a quality the women's 200m had not seen before, Ofili being a surprise elimination but Prandini making it through to Thursday's title sprint.

The only New Zealander in action on Day 4, and the second-fastest New Zealand woman at the distance, 22-year-old Hulls ultimately ran 23.46sec, which compares with a wind-assisted personal best of 23.01sec in Christchurch in February, 23.1sec in winning a New Zealand championships title in Hastings in March and 23.17sec in winning at the Australian national championships in Sydney on April 2.

She's also been in on the national record women's 4x100m relay runs of the past few months.

Hulls told Athletics New Zealand media that regardless of the time and result she had done everything she could.

"I am happy with that," she said. "I'm so proud of myself and very excited for next year. That is the best 120m I've ever ran, and there is so much more to come. I'm not disappointed, I'm proud."

On slightly losing her balance down the home straight, she said: "It's a feeling I've felt at the end of 300m and 400m before. But honestly, it's been a long season and my legs just couldn't keep pushing."

"Oregon22 was my first World Championship experience, and I will always be grateful for that," she said. "My biggest reflection is that 'today is the end of my season, not the end of my career'."

Fellow Hawke's Bay athlete Geordie Beamish, from Havelock North but who got his high school education at Whanganui Collegiate before heading to the US on scholarship, races in the men's 5000m heats on Friday (NZDT).