Athletics: Meet adds heat to race for relay spots

MELBOURNE - The battle for places in the New Zealand men's 4x100m relay team steps up at tonight's pre-Games Grand Prix meeting at Olympic Park.

Coach Eric Hollingsworth has named Matt Brown, James Mortimer, James Dolphin and Chris Donaldson for the race which features some of the world's best sprinters.

"It is a star-studded field but that's what we are looking for," said Hollingsworth on his team's arrival from their Gold Coast base yesterday. "The field is stacked with the best teams but I still have high hopes we can finish in the top four."

A different combination drawn from the six relay runners here will run at a meeting in Bendigo on Sunday.

"We want to give everyone a shot at making the team for the Games," Hollingsworth said.

Dolphin will also run in the A grade 200m later in tonight's meeting, being held in the stadium that hosted the Olympics 50 years ago. Donaldson has got a start in the division two 100m.

Less than an hour after the relay, Mortimer will run his favoured 110m hurdles.

Javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar, one of the last to stake his claim for a spot on the team but now regarded as a genuine medal hope, will be the first of the New Zealanders in action tonight.

Pole vaulter Melina Hamilton will be next up at about the same time Kate McIlroy runs a 3000m flat as there is no 3000m steeplechase on tonight's schedule.

"Fiona Crombie is down to run 1500m but we are trying to get her into the 3000m," said Hollingsworth.

"Our other steeplechase runner Rebecca Forlong is under a bit of an injury cloud but we will know more after she has had a scan on her injured foot tonight."

Most New Zealand attention at tonight's meeting, which has attracted select fields, will be on shot put hope Valerie Vili.

She will start as a hot favourite and appears a class above her eight rivals.

A medal prospect in the 1500m, Nick Willis will join step down a distance and will be a threat alongside fellow New Zealander Jason Stewart in a high-class 800m field.

Michael Aish and Adrian Blincoe will also turn away from their more favoured distances.

Aish, in the Games' 10,000m, and Blincoe, who joins Willis and Paul Hamblyn in the Games' 1500m, will run 2000m tonight.

Long jumper Chantal Brunner, who flew in from Auckland yesterday, will also be in action at Olympic Park, not much more than a decent javelin throw away from the McG where the Games' track and field programme and the opening and closing ceremonies will be held.

Most of New Zealand's athletes are now in Melbourne.

They will be joined by discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina tomorrow, while marathon runners Rebecca Moore and Liza Hunter-Galvan and 50km road walker Craig Barrett arrive on Monday.

"When they are all here we will go into the Games Village as a team," said Hollingsworth.

"Our preparation over here has been just what we wanted.

"Daley Thompson joined us up on the Gold Coast for three or four days and we had a long session with him on Sunday night when he gave all the athletes a good insight into what they can expect and how they can best prepare. He will also spend more time with us here in Melbourne."

While tonight's meeting is being held away from the competition venue, Hollingsworth said many of the team had already had a chance to compete at the MCG in last month's Victorian championships.