Athletics: Manager more upbeat than athletes

Athletics New Zealand's performance manager Tony Rogers was more upbeat than his charges at the world championships yesterday.

Rogers found much to encourage him, despite the three New Zealanders in action finishing well down their fields in Paris.

Gabrielle Gorst was 26th in a field of 42 for the 20km women's road walk, a performance Rogers considered satisfying.

"Gabrielle wasn't too happy with it, but I thought it was pretty satisfying considering her buildup was far from ideal."

In April, the 39-year-old Hastings mother of four had surgery for tendonitis in her legs.

She recorded a time of 1h 38.01s yesterday, the third best of her career.

Rogers was also quietly pleased for Rebecca Wardell, despite her being eliminated in the opening round of the 400m hurdles, an event in which he said the standard was particularly high.

Wardell, of Christchurch, finished fifth in her heat in 56.51s, placing her 20th among 30 competitors.

She took up hurdling only 15 months ago and had only once before gone faster.

Michael Aish was up against it in a star-studded 10,000m final in which Ethiopians monopolised the medals.

Aish, of Wellington, was at the back of the bunch after nine laps when he walked off the track complaining of stomach cramps.

"He had been running at the equivalent of his best time, and I think the cramps were a result of a combination of the heat and possibly a bit of anxiety," Rogers said.

The race ended up an Ethiopian benefit, with Kenenisa Bekele clinching gold in a time of 26m 49.57s, ahead of compatriots Haile Gebrselassie and Sileshi Sihine.

New Zealanders in action today include the 1997 world champion, Beatrice Faumuina, in the discus final and Adrian Blincoe, who won his heat, in the 1500m semifinals.

- NZPA