McCartney to begin Olympic Games quest in Hastings
Eliza McCartney New Zealand’s pole vaulting sensation starts her campaign towards the Tokyo Olympic Games at the Potts Track and Field Classic meeting at the Mitre 10 Sports Park in Hastings on January 23.
McCartney who has been plagued with an injury last competed in Cairns Australia in June 2019. She was in top form prior to this having set a New Zealand all comers and resident record of 4.85m at the 2019 Potts meeting.
The Rio Olympic Games bronze medalist holds the New Zealand national record of 4.94m set in Germany in July 2018.The Hastings venue has proved favourable for pole vaulters with Olivia McTaggart and Imogen Ayris enjoying competing at the facility in past years.
Both McTaggart and Ayris made it into the top 50 in the world last year with personal best clearances of 4.50m which ranks them fourth in the Commonwealth. The standard for entry to the Olympic Games is 4.70m.
The field events will also come alight in the women’s hammer throw with Lauren Bruce and Julia Ratcliffe ranked one and two in the Commonwealth competing, along with Nicole Bradley ranked number four in the Commonwealth. Last year in Hastings Ratcliffe set a New Zealand all comers and resident record of 69.94m which she improved a month later to 70.76m and 72.35m. Bruce achieved a Games qualifier in September last year at the Hastings Athletic Club Spring Series with a Oceania and New Zealand record of 73.47m.
Tom Walsh and Ryan Ballantyne feature in the shot put. Walsh won last year with 21.10m with Ballantyne second sending the shot out to 19.33m. Local Nick Palmer is also down to compete.
The New Zealand 3000m championship will be held in conjunction with the meeting. Eric Speakman of Napier is aiming for the title following his classy performance just prior to Christmas on Auckland’s North Shore of 13:31.84.
He will be up against Matt Baxter and Oli Chignell.
Katherine Camp will be looking for a three peat in the women’s 800m raced in memory of Sylvia Potts. Her winning time last year was 2:06.87. Camille Buscomb is moving down in distance to compete in the memorial race. Buscomb last raced over 800m in 2014 in a time of 2:08.21.
She was fourth at the 2013 Potts Classic. Also entered is last years winner University of Canterbury Katherine Camp who has a best of 2:02.63 and Otago runner Rebekah Greene who has a best of 2:05.58.
