Commonwealth Games: NZ duo make 800m final

Nikki Hamblin and Angie Smit will both race in the 800m final. Photo / Greg Bowker

A quarter of the competitors in tomorrow's Commonwealth Games 800m final will be wearing the silver fern.

Both Nikki Hamblin and Angie Smit finished third in their respective semifinals in Glasgow this morning to seal safe passage to the gold medal race.

For Hamblin it's a chance to repeat her result from Delhi four years ago, where she took silver, while Smit is relishing the chance to run alongside an athlete she cited as an inspiration.

The Kiwis ran clever tactical races to gain automatic qualification for the final, set for 7.45am NZT, emerging from the back of the field to pass their opponents on the home straight.

Hamblin especially impressed when running down hometown hope Emily Dudgeon on the line, showing admirable energy considering it was her fourth race in as many days. And she hoped the presence of Smit on the startline would provide the fuel for one last big effort.

"I'm stoked that Angie and I are going to be there," she said. "Just having her there is great for me, because I need to step up my game.

"Four years ago it was just me - this year it's Angie, there's me, there's Lucy [van Dalen]. I have to keep working and keep being good or I'm not even going to make the team next time around.

"New Zealand middle distance running is in an awesome place right now and there's a massive upward swing. I'm really excited to be part of it."

The 22-year-old Smit is part of that upward swing, although, after an underwhelming performance in her heat, she initially doubted her chances of joining her more experienced teammate in the final. But an amendment to her tactics - a more carefully considered start to conserve energy for the home stretch - saw her advance and double Kiwi interests.

"Just to have that proud Kiwi kind of feel in it, and we'll both have the strength of the whole nation behind us," he said. "I'm just so happy for Nikki, she did an incredible run.

"I've always looked up to her because she's a bit older than me and was there before I was. And she's the double silver-medallist from the last Games, so I'm just so inspired by her.

"It'll be pretty cool racing with her tomorrow. Two Kiwis in the final - hopefully we can both be on the dais."

Both will likely look to employ similar strategies if they wish to achieve that aim. After hitting a wall down the home straight in her heat, Smit found better balance 24 hours later, while Hamblin has accepted the virtues of a measured approach since the last Commonwealth Games.

Said Smit: "I was a bit worried to be sitting in seventh place at one stage, but then I knew that they were going out hard. So I just thought, be patient and stay relaxed and just trust myself."

And Hamblin: "In the last 200, you're not kicking, you're not going faster - you're just holding. That's the thing about the 800. It was the same in Delhi - with 200m to go I was at the back, and it was like I had this massive kick from behind, but in reality everyone else just tired."

Meanwhile, to complete a satisfying night for the Kiwi team at Hampden Park, Siositina Hakeai qualified fourth for the discuss final with a throw of 57.19m.

"I've never competed in front of so many people and I think I let the nerves get to me," she said. "But the main thing is I qualified and that's all that matters. Tomorrow's the day that counts."