Athletics: Kiwis miss finals

New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin and javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar missed out on their respective finals at the world athletics championships in Germany today.

Hamblin exited in the semifinals of the 1500m in Berlin while Farquhar finished 14th overall with a best throw of 78.53 in qualifying.

The qualification standard for the final was 82.00m or for the best 12 to qualify.

Farquhar was just 16cm short of the 12th place qualifier for the final.

The two-time Olympian said he put all his efforts into his third and final throw, his best of the competition.

"I still knew there was more there, I still didn't connect it well, I went to the right but I was a bit gutted when I saw it leave my hand," he said.

Hamblin, who fell in the heats of her specialist 800m this week, finished sixth in the second and slower of the two semifinals with a time of four minutes 10.96 seconds.

The leading five in each semifinal along with the next two fastest runners went through to the final.

"That was close," Hamblin said.

"I'm really happy with that. On paper I was the slowest runner by five or six seconds, so I'm happy, I was really worried I'd be left behind.

"I nearly got there, I'm pretty proud that I nearly got there," she said.

Hamblin finished 17th overall in the competition.

"I came here and my goal was the 800m and to switch that goal was quite tricky. I had a few days between the heats and the semis.

- NZPA