World Indoor Championships: Eliza McCartney faces selection fight with Imogen Ayris, Olivia McTaggart

Pole vaulter Imogen Ayris is fighting for one of two spots at the World Indoor Championships next month. Photo / Photosport

By Barry Guy of RNZ

The Athletics New Zealand selectors have a dilemma on their hands as they try to finalise their squad for next month’s World Indoor Championships in Poland.

New Zealand’s three top female pole vaulters are fighting for just two spots at the event.

On Monday morning, Imogen Ayris vaulted a personal-best 4.76m at a meeting in France to gain the qualifying standard for the World Indoors. Four athletes finished on 4.76m, with a Czech athlete Amalie Svabikova winning on a countback. Ayris finished third.

Olivia McTaggart also delivered a season’s-best performance of 4.70m to finish fifth at the same competition, while Eliza McCartney recorded 4.70m at the Auckland Championships on Friday.

The trio have now all met the entry standard for the championships, but nations are only able to enter two athletes per event.

Both Ayris and McTaggart are scheduled to compete again in Europe before the World Championships qualifying period closes.

McCartney, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, is scheduled to compete at the national championships in Auckland next week, but now may consider heading overseas to compete in order to impress the selectors.

Ayris and McTaggart competed in last year’s World Indoor Championships, finishing ninth and 11th respectively.

McCartney, who claimed the silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, set the national record mark of 4.94m in 1998.

All three pole vaulters have also qualified for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Kiwi sprinters Zoe Hobbs and Tiaan Whelpton have run world indoor qualifying times in recent weeks, while shot putter Tom Walsh is also scheduled to compete in Poland.

– RNZ