Athletics: Willis hungry to improve after second loss to Aussie

New Zealand's Nick Willis (left) and Australia's Jeff Riseley vie for glory at Christchurch this week. Riseley won narrowly. Photo / Getty Images

For the second time in as many weeks, New Zealand's 1500m Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis has had to bow to the superior form of rising Australian track star Jeff Riseley.

The talented Riseley ran a canny race to record 1m 47.75s in an international 800m clash at Christchurch, a tiring Willis seemingly giving up his challenge with about 15m to the line.

A disappointed Willis, who clocked 1m 48.12s, said he gave his best before a partisan Christchurch crowd but the extra distance he had to cover running wide around the final bend, when Riseley made his move to the front, was too much.

"He made a nice move down the back straight - I covered it but I was forced wide to lane three with 150m to go," Willis said. "There's work to be done but that only makes me more hungry.

"It was great to hear the crowd get in behind me for the last 80 and I was frustrated I couldn't respond and give them something extra to cheer for."

Riseley beat Willis in a Melbourne 1500m two weeks ago, when Willis chose to set the pace from the front, bursting past the New Zealander in the straight.

This time Willis was content to sit in fifth position for the first 600m but when Riseley made his move to the front, Willis still had to make ground around other runners on the bend. "Very frustrating. I want to be the best - we know where we're at now and there's definitely still work to be done," Willis said of their pending clash at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games this year.

The 23-year-old Riseley certainly showed he is a rising star and the Australian now looms as a serious threat to Willis in both the 800m and 1500m.

"I looked around and saw I had a bit of a gap and realised I didn't really have to grind it out," Riseley said.

The Australian, who prefers the longer distance, said he looks forward to a really good rivalry with Willis in the next few years.

"He's the guy I'm after and I've beaten him twice in the last two weeks," Riseley said.

New Zealand's other big drawcard, discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina, also had to play second fiddle to an Australian but this was expected against the talent and power of reigning world champion Dani Samuels.

Both throwers put on a magnificent display of discus throwing, Samuels throwing 63.38m and Faumuina 61.10.

Faumuina was beaming about her form before the Delhi Games. She said she will stay at home for the winter leading into the Commonwealth Games.

- NZPA