I was hugely impressed with the positive attitude of field event athletes and officials in the face of trying conditions. I stood in the rain as a ground announcer at the men’s and women’s high jump and watched athletes displaying positivity and providing two outstanding competitions.
Cooks Classic winner Imogen Skelton made it two in a row during the worst of the storm and came so very close to equalling her Cooks Gardens performance of 1.80m but had to settle for 1.76m.
In the men’s high jump, Joel Baden (2.20m) defeated fellow Australian Roman Anastasios (2.16m). As the rain eased, the world-class Baden narrowly failed at 2.27m, the height Hamish Kerr cleared at Cooks Gardens. It is a pity the Australians were not available for our Classic and what would have been an epic competition in the excellent conditions at Cooks Gardens.
As the men jumped in gradually improving conditions, world-ranked Tori Peeters won her season opener in the javelin with a 56.63m effort. She had surrendered her lead briefly in the fourth round to Sae Takemoto (Japan) but quickly won it back. Takemoto was followed by her team-mate Yuka Sato in third and Frenchwoman Jona Aigouy in fourth to round off an international field.
Whanganui’s New Zealand 400m hurdles champion Jonathan Maples justified his place in the flat 400m by finishing fourth in a personal best 50.33s. Maples showed his inexperience in the back straight in the swirling wind and paid the price in the home straight.
As a novice in the one-lap race, he will have gained invaluable experience and faster times will follow. Maples is a tidy one-lap hurdler and his progress over the flat race will enhance his chances as he defends his title at the same stadium next month, seeking a third successive top podium place.
Another Whanganui athlete to justify his place in the top grade was Daniel Sinclair who a week earlier did a sterling job setting the pace for the New Zealand Mile Championship at the Cooks Classic.
He was one of 42 entries for the New Zealand 3000m men’s championship and the Under-20 1500m champion was given a place in the 21-strong A field. Although near the tail of that field, Sinclair was rewarded with a five-second personal best (8m 27.85s).
By the start of the 3000m, the wind had died and the rain stopped, providing excellent if cool conditions for the race.
Sam Tanner has demonstrated that his preparation for the Paris Olympics is on track. A fortnight ago he did the pace-making for Mark Preston in the 800m at the Potts Classic and a week later at Cooks Gardens he ran his fourth Cooks Gardens sub-four-minute mile.
In Wellington, he set the meet record to win the New Zealand 3000m title in 7m 50.26s, running away from training partner Hayden Wilde (7m 57.47s) with William Little third (7m 59.64s) in preparation for next month’s World Cross Country Championships, while Wilde should be encouraged in his preparation for the Olympic triathlon.
Tanner and former Whanganui runner George Beamish (who, although based in the United States, is still registered with Athletics Whanganui) will lead New Zealand’s middle-distance challenge at the Paris Olympics.
Tanner was 11th in the Diamond League Final in the 1500m and Beamish third in the 3000m steeplechase. Beamish broke the New Zealand 5000m record indoors in Boston a fortnight ago, confirming his growing world status.
