Godfrey excels in testing conditions

IN FORM: Whanganui athlete Grace Godfrey achieved a personal best in the 200 metres and a calendar year best in the 400 metres at the Oceania Polynesian Regional Championships in Tahiti at the weekend.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

EVEN THOUGH the competition was relatively weak, the New Zealand athletes did well at the Oceania Polynesian Regional Championships in Tahiti at the weekend.

The fact that they were representing New Zealand, most for the first time, rather than the competition from the other competing athletes, drove them to win a total of 43 medals, 21 of which were gold.

The encouraging aspect was that among these were many personal bests and a raft of very good performances. These were achieved in some events against relatively weak opponents and in humid 30 degree or more conditions.

Grace Godfrey achieved a personal best in the 200 metres and a calendar year best in the 400 metre. In the former she was an anxious starter as the half lap is not her favourite event.

Godfrey finished a very creditable second with a personal best of 26.32 (previous best 26.54). The event was won by Hawke's Bay athlete Briana Stephenson who was one of the stars of the New Zealand team, winning six gold medals and also setting a substantial personal best. Godfrey finished ahead of 100m/200m metre specialist Elise Forman of Wellington and three Tahitian athletes who made up the six lane final.

In the 400 metres I requested that Godfrey and her Cook Island fellow under 18 competitor run with the senior women to gain more meaningful competition.

Godfrey was third across the line, ahead of three senior women including Kristie Baillie of New Zealand in her fastest time of 2016 of 58.84, just outside of her personal best set in December at NZ Schools.

The decision to combine grades was wise as Godfrey's Cook Island rival was more than 10 seconds in arrears. Godfrey ran in the winning 4 x 100 relay and gained a surprise silver medal in the mixed medley relay (Women 100m, Men 100m, Women 200m, Men 400m) when the New Zealand A team were disqualified after the baton was dropped.

The other Whanganui athlete Opetini Dryden faced tough competition in the under 18 javelin. Dryden is still nursing a niggling shoulder injury that kept him a little below his best although his final three throws were over 50 metres, which kept him just ahead, chasing a group of Cook Island and Tahitian athletes. But his silver medal throw of 53.57 metres was overshadowed by Teuraiterai Tupai's brilliant gold medal throw of 71.49 which was a new French Polynesian record and places him high in the under 18 world ranking.

Both Godfrey and Dryden have had a good taste of international competition and I am sure that this has given them a taste for more. Such tours can provide the motivation necessary to make the next step in the sport and they will reset goals and training accordingly.

The team was positive, responsive and adaptable which is vital for success and many others in the 19-strong team will be already planning and preparing for the next challenge.

On the same weekend across the Pacific in California, Collegiate teammate Oliver O'Leary has had an outstanding start to the Californian Tour at the Tiger Invitational in South Pasadena. O'Leary finishing 4th against older opposition, breaking the Wanganui Collegiate under 16 800 metre record set by Josh van Dalen with a 1 minute 58.86 performance. O'Leary's personal best had been 1:59.90 and the record was 1:59.80. The record was O'Leary's main goal of the Tour and he can now go into the two remaining meets with renewed confidence. Fellow touring teammate Harry Symes is reportedly running at close to 100 per cent and hopes to be in action at the weekend after a slight hamstring problem before leaving.

I am writing this before heading to Auckland Airport to meet Jane Lennox, Christian Conder and the rest of the New Zealand Schools team who later fly to London for a preparation week before going to Budapest for the ISF World Schools Cross Country. I hope to be able to report on progress next week at the end of their London week.