Elite all-rounders arrive

BIG WEEKEND: Portia Bing will be aiming to qualify for the Rio Olympics at Cooks Gardens during the NZ Combined Events Championships.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Whanganui athletics fans are invited to Cooks Gardens this weekend to see top decathletes and heptathletes in action.

Over two days they will compete in 10 events (men) and seven events (women) - and we are fortunate to have these great all-round athletes competing locally in the New Zealand Combined Events Championships.

The event allows Whanganui to get close to the action as leading athletes strive for two days, not only chasing the medals and personal challenges but in an Olympic year the championships form a compulsory New Zealand team trial.

Cooks Gardens has been chosen because the configuration of the track allows athletes to race on either straight, thus guaranteeing the all-important tail wind. The Athletics Wanganui club is allowing spectators to get close to the action and enter a draw to win a travel voucher courtesy of Harvey World Travel.

There is a special camaraderie between combined event athletes as through two days they will long jump, high jump, vault, throw, sprint, hurdle and then finish with a demanding 1500m for men and 800m for women, with their performances scored on the combined events table.

There are 32 entries across the grades and the inclusion of Asian Games gold medal winner Keisuke Ushiro of Japan, who has an impressive 8308 points to his name, and countryman Yuta Notoyo add an international flavour to the men's decathlon.

This will provide Brent Newdick, 12th at the London Olympics, the competition to regain a slot in the team for Rio.

New Zealand University representative Jack Henry was in sparkling form at the Porritt Classic last week and last year's Junior Champion and former Wanganui Collegiate athlete Max Attwell has his first senior decathlon.

In the women's event is Portia Bing, who represented New Zealand at last year's World Championships and in her debut finished a creditable 16th.

Her personal best score is 6102.

Bing's main competition is fellow Olympic berth seeker Veronica Torr, originally from Palmerston North.

Torr is the defending champion and set a personal best of 6051 points in Brisbane in January.

Both are close to the 6200 qualifying standard and Whanganui sport and the atmosphere provided could secure them as Olympians.

-The action starts at 11am on Saturday and will conclude around 4pm Sunday.