Discus thrower added to Commonwealth Games team

Siositina Hakeai has been added to the athletics team for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. The Auckland athlete will compete in the discus, conditional on throwing a distance of 59.30m in at least one of four competitions taking place prior to 10 March 2018.

For Hakeai, five times New Zealand discus champion from 2012 to 2016, it would be her second Commonwealth Games after finishing fourth at the Glasgow 2014 Games.

Her international debut was in 2010 at the World Under 20 Championships. Two years later, at the next Under 20 Championships, she finished in fourth place. Hakeai also competed at the 2015 World Championships.

The 23 year old from the Auckland City Athletics Club has a personal best of 59.81m, ranking her third on the all-time New Zealand womens discus list behind 1997 world champion Beatrice Faumuina. She recently went very close to this performance, throwing 59.76m in early February.

NZOC CEO Kereyn Smith extended her congratulations to Hakeai.

"Sisositina has been a valued team member during previous campaigns and we're happy to welcome her back into the fold for Gold Coast 2018. We wish her well as she works to ratify her selection ahead of the Games."

Hakeais addition brings the number of athletics representatives in the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team to 20.

In additional news for the athletics team, hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe has met the standard required to make her Commonwealth Games selection unconditional by throwing 67.12m at the Waikato Championships at the weekend.

Gold Coast 2018 Athletics Team

Valerie Adams (conditional) shot put Pakuranga Athletic Club

Alana Barber 20km race walk Race Walking Auckland

Camille Buscomb 10,000m, 5000m Hamilton City Hawks Athletics

Cameron French 400m hurdles Hamilton City Hawks Athletics

Marshall Hall (conditional) discus Invercargill Athletic Club

Siositina Hakeai (conditional) discus Auckland City Athletics

Ben Langton Burnell javelin Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club

Eliza McCartney pole vault North Harbour Bays Athletics

Olivia McTaggart pole vault North Harbour Bays Athletics

Brad Mathas 800m Christchurch Old Boys

Joseph Millar 200m Tauranga Ramblers

Angie Petty 800m University of Canterbury

Julia Ratcliffe hammer Hamilton City Hawks Athletics

Holly Robinson Para javelin Athletics Taieri

Jake Robertson 10,000m Hamilton City Hawks Athletics

Zane Robertson marathon, 10,000m Hamilton City Hawks Athletics

Quentin Rew 20km race walk Wellington Harrier Athletic Club

Nick Southgate pole vault North Harbour Bays Athletics

Tom Walsh shot put South Canterbury Athletic Club

Nick Willis 1500m, 5000m Lower Hutt Athletic Club

- This story has been automatically published using a media release from Athletics New Zealand