Athletics: Athletes looking for redemption

By TERRY MADDAFORD

This week's national track and field championships are the chance for athletes to shrug off the tarnish of too many sub-par performances at the Sydney Olympics.

At stake in the three-day meeting starting in Hastings today are places at the world championships in Edmonton, Canada, in August.

While one or two - and hopefully more - should meet the automatic entry standard, there is a strong feeling that the older athletes could be upstaged at the nationals by younger fry chasing places in the world youth championships in Hungary.

The nationals, being held in Hawkes Bay for the first time in 20 years, have attracted more than 500 individual entries - about the same number who competed in Christchurch last year - but with the biggest entry in under-18 events.

The senior women's 400m, which promises to be one of the best contests with Jane Arnott and Rebecca Wardell going head to head, has attracted just four entries.

Wardell, who finished second behind Arnott last season, has already managed the 52.49s B standard for the world championships.

The men's sprints (100m and 200m) will produce new champions with injury-struck defending champion Chris Donaldson missing.

The 100m has attracted 21 entries.

A field of 19, including defending champion Richard Potts, will face the starter in the first major final, the men's 5000m this afternoon.

For the first time in years, the glamour 1500m has attracted enough entries to necessitate heats but the 800m will be run as a straight final with 11 starters.

Valerie Adams, a certainty for Hungary, has the chance to continue her impressive summer.

With Beatrice Faumuina sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, Adams could be the queen of the field events.

National selector Dave Norris said he and fellow selectors Tony Rogers and Ken Simpson had not given up on Faumuina.

"She is certainly capable of throwing the 62.80m she needs to qualify for the world championships," said Norris.

"Like the others, she can compete in Grand Prix meetings and the national championships in Australia and the trantasman test in Auckland before the end of March."

Chantal Brunner, who has managed a 6.49m long jump this season but needs 6.75m for automatic selection, has her chance, as does Aaron Langdon, who will be looking to continue the long jumping form he showed in Australia.

Glenn Howard has been dogged by a knee injury - which left him short of his best at the Olympics - but he will be in Hastings to defend the high jump title he won so spectacularly a year ago.

Rising middle-distance star Nick Willis has chosen to run in his under-18 grade over 800m and 1500m - a decision Norris applauds - rather than step up to under-20 or senior ranks.

"He has his time to run against older athletes," said Norris.

"We are much happier to see him run in his own age group.

"He, like Valerie Adams, must be a real prospect for the youth championships."

Others likely to make their mark at the nationals include Hamish Christiansen in the men's 1500m, where he will chase the 3m 36.20s worlds qualifying mark; middle-distance juniors Jason Stewart and Michael Stringer; walker Craig Barrett and sprinters April Brough and Caro Hunt.

Meeting manager Allan Potts said the championships had been boosted by 36 entries from Parafed.

They will compete in events for athletes with disabilities and in wheelchairs.