Athletics: Star athletes say farewell with NZ title bonanza

By Terry Maddaford

HAMILTON - Chris Donaldson, Shaun Farrell and Hamish Christensen gave themselves perfect going-away presents with stylish New Zealand track and field championship victories at Porritt Stadium.

Donaldson completed the sprint double with an effortless 20.59s 200m victory yesterday following his equally impressive 100m on the first day of the adidas championships. Only a 3.50m a second tailwind robbed him of a perfect day, costing him a New Zealand resident record.

Mathew Coad, the record holder at 20.61s, was pushed back to third by Wellington team-mate Donald MacDonald.

"I was happy with that," said Donaldson, who started strongly, powered round the bend and won as he liked. "It was a good run with the World Indoor Championships in Japan coming up. After that I'll virtually wind up my season at the Australian nationals."

Farrell, who successfully defended his 400m title, and Christensen, who grabbed the 800m, join Donaldson on the flight to Japan tomorrow.

The wind also robbed senior women's 400m champion Jane Arnott of the 52.20s world championships qualifying time.

Arnott, opting to give the 400m her all rather than attempt the defence of the sprint treble she took a year ago in Wanganui, said she had only run to win, but her 53.22s showed she is not far shy of the championship standard.

Pressed all the way by Canterbury's Rebecca Wardell, Arnott ran an even race and was 5m clear at the finish.

The much anticipated 1500m duel between rising star Demelza Murrihy and 40-year-old Chrissie Pfitzinger was a fizzer as Murrihy cried off after just 900m.

Running just off the pace, Murrihy pulled up after a recurrence of a sprained ankle.

Pfitzinger swept to the lead 250m from the finish to win easily in a modest 4m 28.06s.

"It wasn't bad, was it?" said Pfitzinger after just her fifth race since returning to training nine months ago. "I enjoyed it just as I always have. I will definitely run cross-country this winter, but I'm not sure about next track season."

Beatrice Faumuina and Craig Barrett, who made the headlines for different reasons in last year's Commonwealth Games, were back in the winner's circle.

Faumuina followed up her first-day shot put success with an easy win in defending her discus title, helping herself to a ticket to the world championships along the way. Her winning 63.69m was well over the 61m she needed to ensure she would have the chance to defend her world title in Spain in August.

While not yet in Faumuina's class, 1.93m (6ft 4in) 14-year-old Valerie Adams showed it might not be too long before she grabs a share of the limelight with her under-18 shot put-hammer throw double.

Adams was just 43cm shy of Faumuina's long-standing shot put record and easily won the hammer with a 37.23m throw - these victories just six months into her athletics career under her Counties Manukau coach Kirsten Hellier, who later won her ninth national javelin title.

Barrett won the 5000m track-20km road walk double with apparent ease, booking himself a start in May's World Walking Cup, where he will race over 50km.

"It took 12 weeks to get over Kuala Lumpur but I feel good now," said Barrett.

"I learned a lot from what happened there and I'm back on course. I'll do three 50km races this year and another three next year culminating in the Sydney Olympics."

In a return to top form, 1990 Commonwealth Games 10km silver medallist Anne Judkins won that title yesterday morning but went on to complete 20km - her first ever - to also qualify for the World Cup.

"I was aiming to go under the 1h 38m standard but would have been happy with 1h 42m," said Judkins. "In doing 1h 36m 44s I'm over the moon."