Athletics: Cowley joins Adams in early team selections

Rotorua athlete Sarah Cowley has been named in the first group of athletes competing for New Zealand at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Photo/File

Rotorua's Sarah Cowley and Valerie Adams have been selected to represent New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games.

High jumper Cowley and shot putter Adams have been named alongside nine other track and field athletes to compete at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in late July.

More names will be added to the New Zealand team in May and early June.

Cowley competed in the heptathlon event at the 2012 London Olympics and has turned her focus to high jump for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

She is the latest athlete to achieve the Commonwealth Games standard, jumping 1.89m and placing second at the Australian championships at the weekend.

Adams has won two gold medals and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and will be one of New Zealand's strongest gold medal prospects in July.

New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Kereyn Smith said she was delighted selection for the team is under way.

"Glasgow 2014 will be an outstanding event for the high performance athletes confirmed to the team today, testing them against some of the best athletes in the world as well as providing them with elite multi-sport experience in the build-up to Rio 2016."

Nick Willis (1500m) and Stuart Farquhar (javelin) have also been named in the team. Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill form a dynamic duo in the men's shot put and have realistic chances to win medals.

The selection also includes African-based distance runners Zane and Jake Robertson (both 5000m), who had some very good international results in 2013 and have run just outside the New Zealand records for 5000m and 10,000m.

Angie Smit (800m) finished fourth at the 2013 World University Games and had her major championships debut at last year's Moscow world championships.

She seems certain to show the benefit from the experience when she runs in Glasgow.

Exciting young throwers Julia Ratcliffe (hammer) and Siositina Hakeai (discus) complete the initial selection.

Marathon, decathlon and heptathlon athletes will be named in the second group of selections in May and a final selection will take place in early June.

The New Zealand Commonwealth Games team is expected to be made up of around 200 athletes competing in 17 sports.