Athletics: Women's pole vault promises top contest

By Murray McKinnon

National pole vault champion Jenni Dryburgh is hoping that a spell from vaulting after competing at the Commonwealth Games has been just the tonic for a top performance at the Marley Games in Christchurch this evening.

The women's pole vault has come of age since it was introduced on the programme just eight years ago, with Dryburgh, Meina Hamilton and Cassandra Ralph all capable of clearing four metres.

Dryburgh was the star athlete at the national championships in Wanganui in March, winning both the senior and junior titles with her 3.85m clearance in the senior event, which also gave her the New Zealand under-20 record.

The 20-year-old set a personal record of 4m in Darwin before the Games and was the best of the New Zealanders at Kuala Lumpur, finishing sixth, with Ralph seventh and Hamilton, the senior record-holder with 4.01m, eighth.

"I was happy with my result in KL. It was good experience competing in front of a big audience," Dryburgh said.

"Hopefully the weather will be favourable in Christchurch. Training has been going well and I am looking forward to getting back to competition and improving my technique."

Up against this trio will be Rachel Dacy and Melanie O'Brien, of Australia. Dacy has a best of 4.10m, also in Darwin last year.

With the withdrawal of the invited international sprint stars, the 100m will be a clash of New Zealand's talented Chris Donaldson and Gus Nketia. Donaldson ran a personal best of 10.17s in Kuala Lumpur and looks set to nudge Nketia's national record of 10.11s to set the international series off to a great start.

Donaldson could well claim several records by the time the Games finish in Papakura next week, with the New Zealand allcomers' 200m record of 20.52s and the resident record of 20.61s also well within his capabilities.

Tina Paulino, of Mozambique, should have the women's 800m to herself with Toni Hodgkinson having withdrawn with injury.

Last year, Regina Jacobs, of the United States, beat Hodgkinson over 800m in Christchurch in 1m 59.50s. Unfortunately this time was not submitted as a new allcomers' record, leaving the time of 2m 00.20s set by Maria Mutola in Auckland in 1993 as the mark.

Paulino's best time is 1m 56.62s and she ran 1m 58.39s for the silver medal in Kuala Lumpur, indicating that the allcomers' record could well go her way.

The men's 400m is shaping up into a close contest, with Nick Cowan up against Mark Keddel and Brad Jamieson, of Australia. Shaun Farrell, a disappointment at the Commonwealth Games, will wish to carry on the tremendous potential he displayed in last year's series when he fronts up in the 800m.

Tasha Williams will be fired up in front of her local crowd in the women's hammer throw. She set a New Zealand record last Saturday and has set herself the target of being the first New Zealander to break the 60m barrier.