Maddi Wesche claimed bronze at the World Championships in Tokyo. Photo / Getty Images
The curtain came down on a magnificent World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday, ending nine days of outstanding competition and some of the closest margins ever recorded.
The global nature of the sport was clearly illustrated by a record 53 nations appearing on the medal table (20 countries at gold, 26 at silver and 34 at bronze). Overall, 193 countries participated and 74 had at least one athlete in the top eight.
New Zealand with two golds and a bronze medal, backed up a further six finalists, finished fifth equal on the 53-strong medal table ahead of athletic powerhouse nations such as Jamaica 10th, Italy 11th, Germany 12th, Australia 15th, France 17th, Great Britain and Northern Ireland 21st and China 22nd.
The fine margins continued over the final two days.
On Saturday Maddi Wesche was leading the shot through the first five rounds with her 20.06 metre equal PB in Round 1. In the final round, she was bettered by Jessica Schilder (Netherlands) and immediately afterwards by Chase Jackson (USA). Wesche tried to respond but her final impressive effort was a foul.
Wesche has proved to be the quiet New Zealand achiever - the bronze follows the Paris Olympics silver last year and the Commonwealth bronze in 2022.
The fine margins and late victories continued right up to the final day.
In the heptathlon, bronze medals had to be shared with Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Taliyah Brooks both scoring 6581 points after the three-day, seven-discipline competition.
Like Wesche’s shot, the men’s triple jump was won in the final round as was the final event, the men’s discus delayed by the torrential rain on the last evening, with Daniel Stahl’s (Sweden) final throw. Earlier in the same evening, Nicola Olyslagers won the high jump and Australia’s only gold. Olyslagers (nee McDermott) holds the Cooks Gardens Stadium Record set in 2015 as does, of course, the men’s winner Hamish Kerr.
Geordie Beamish’s Whanganui connection is well known, as is the understanding that success in the sport is a long journey.
It is interesting that all three New Zealand medal winners (Beamish, Kerr and Wesche) won gold medals at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships when it was held at Cooks Gardens in December 2014 (Wesche’s gold was at junior level although 40cm better than the senior winner).
Other Tokyo New Zealand team members who won NZSS gold 11 years ago in Whanganui were Zoe Hobbs, Lauren Bruce and Eliza McCartney. Olivia McTaggart, who was eighth in Tokyo, was also eighth at the 2014 Schools Championships. Some great athletics journeys started at school level and at Cooks Gardens.
The Para World Championships start in New Delhi and hopefully Anna Grimaldi, another star of 2014, leads further New Zealand success. Grimaldi took four para titles at that 2014 event.
We have received overtures to host the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in December next year. We are undertaking a feasibility study – watch this space. It would be wonderful if Whanganui could again be the start of future stars’ track and field journey.
I am sure New Zealand success will inspire our younger athletes. In my final school preview for the season, I turn to Cullinane College and Whanganui City College.
There was a real revival of athletics at Cullinane under the leadership of Paula Conder and the active support of principal Tony McBride.
This was evidenced by the large increase in participants at the Whanganui Secondary Schools Championships and the success at the Viard Shield. In March at the rain-curtailed Whanganui Schools Championships, Cullinane had 22 top three places. They should be especially encouraged by the junior 4 x 100 wins in both boys and girls races, backed up by another win in the intermediate girls relay. Such relay success with its team component will help in the development of the sport at the College.
Individually, I was impressed with Ethan Linklater in the jumps taking both the triple and senior high jump titles. He showed promise in all jumps at North Island Schools. Grace O’Leary won the Whanganui junior 1500m and, although not able to attend the North Island champs, should be at December’s New Zealand Schools Champs. I was impressed with her smooth running and will watch her progress with interest.
Kopere Maihi-Walker was Whanganui City College’s only winner, taking the 200m junior boys title and placing third in a competitive 100m. A year earlier, he went to his first North Island Champs, encouraged by an earlier team group session.
He began more formal training this January and has made great progress on such limited preparation. At this year’s North Island Champs, he narrowly missed the 200m final (10th) and 100m (12th). He is a young athlete to watch and hopefully will encourage other City College students to follow his lead.