It's been revealed that beneath the Larry the Lamb costume was New Zealand’s fastest man, Tiaan Whelpton. Photo / Sky Sport
It's been revealed that beneath the Larry the Lamb costume was New Zealand’s fastest man, Tiaan Whelpton. Photo / Sky Sport
It can now be revealed how Canterbury’s beloved mascot, Larry the Lamb, achieved an impressive victory in a mascot race during Saturday’s NPC final.
During the half-time show in rugby’s National Provincial Championship final between Canterbury and Otago, Larry the Lamb can be seen dashing aheadof other participants.
But other mascots stood little chance of winning, because beneath the Larry the Lamb costume was New Zealand’s fastest man, Tiaan Whelpton.
It’s a complete turnaround for Larry the Lamb, who came dead last at the 2024 NPC final mascot race.
It's been revealed that beneath the Larry the Lamb costume was New Zealand’s fastest man, Tiaan Whelpton. Photo / Sky Sport
“I had a pink ladies’ bike helmet on under the lamb head, which I would turn in and wedge on so the head wouldn’t fly off while I was running.”
Despite owning the national 60m record and the NZ resident 100m, Whelpton jokingly said he had had more recognition from the mascot run than from other events.
Tiaan Whelpton is a record-breaking professional sprinter and an ambassador for the upcoming Special Olympics New Zealand National Summer Games.
“It’s actually funny how much publicity this has gotten now,” Whelpton said.
“It’s probably more than most of my bloody sprint posts have gone – so I’ll take it!”
At the ACT Championships, held in Canberra in January, Whelpton smashed a 30-year-old New Zealand record in the 60m by crossing in 6.50s.
The 25-year-old went well under the previous national mark of 6.59s, set by Gus Nketia in 1995.
Whelpton had earlier recorded a 6.52s in the heats, but that time was discounted due to an illegal level of wind.
