Athletics: Cowley qualification catches out Hollingsworth

Eric Hollingsworth was prepared to admit he had been proved wrong for only the third time in his life yesterday. The Athletics New Zealand high performance director did not think Rotorua heptathlete Sarah Cowley had the ability to qualify for the Commonwealth Games.

"She's about the third athlete ever to prove me wrong," Hollingsworth said. "That's very impressive. I'm really proud of her."

The big improver finished second behind Rebecca Wardell, the former 400m hurdles runner who recently switched to the multi-event.

"It's been a dream weekend for her," Hollingsworth said of Cowley. "What I want is for her to make this a step up to the world level."

Going into the final event, the 800m, Wardell needed a time of 2m 21s to qualify while Cowley needed 2m 17s.

"As my coach said, if I couldn't run 2m 21s I shouldn't be going so it was a matter of trying to get Sarah through," Wardell said.

The two athletes hatched a plan whereby Wardell would take the wind for the majority of the two laps to drag Cowley through. The plan went like clockwork.

"I always knew I could do it," Cowley said. "A lot of people were pessimistic about my chances with only five months preparation in the heptathlon but I've proved to myself I can do it."

The 21-year-old's rise as an athlete is all the more impressive given the fact she lost most of 2002 and 2003 to injury. Cowley suffered stress fractures to both her feet, underwent two operations and could not walk, let alone train, for three months.

"I never gave up hope though," she said. Cowley's score of 5710 cleared the qualification mark by a mere 10 points. Wardell was more comfortable at 5784 and wants to use this performance as a springboard to the high 5900s. The top athletes at the Games, she believed, would all be doing 6000-plus.

The national championship proved to her that she had made the right choice in switching to the heptathlon.

Wardell recorded personal bests in the long jump (5.87m) and javelin (46.5m).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY