Track Talk – 17.6.15
Eight weeks to go to IAAF World Track Champs.
Over the weekend two more Diamond league Track and Field meets were held. The 50th Bislett Games was held in Oslo Norway. As always the packed crowd were passionate, knowledgable on an intimate track where world records galore have been set in the past. The was no more famous win to Kiwis than John Walker’s world record 3.49.08 on July 07 in 1982. John’s time was the first time the 3.50 mark for the mile was broken and it still stands as a national record.
This year the Dream Mile went to Asbel Kiprop Kenya who ran 3.51.45 Britain’s Leanne Muir won the women’s 1500, her first Diamond League win. She built up a big lead going intro the last lap and held off chasing Kenyans and Ethiopians for a 4.00.39 PB win.
The expected challenge on the meet record of 8.01.83 in the 3km steeplechase did not eventuate in the cold windy conditions. The Kenyan clean sweep of the top four places was led by Birech who win by 6 seconds with 8.05.63 in cold windy conditions.
The crowd were on their feet doing their best to urge Genzebe Dibaba Ethiopia to a world 5km record. Pacemakers took her through 3km in 8.39.5 but this WR pace could not be maintained and she won from 3 other Ethiopians by 17 seconds in 14.21.29.
The New York Diamond league was held on the 13 June and Kiwis featured. Tomas Walsh was third in the shot with 21.16 outside his NZ record of 21.27 but a seasonal best to show his form was coming right for the World Champs. NIck Willis led into the straight in a tactically-run 5000 that had a lead group of 6 together with one lap to run and was run down narrowly 13.29.48 to 13.29.78 but beat some top quality Kenyans. In the 800 Kenya’s Olympic champ David Rudisha ran a World lead 1.43.58 to win. Usain Bolt had his first race of the northern summer winning the 200 in in a tick over 20 seconds.
In Ireland Angela Petty (Nee Smit) ran a 3 second PB in the 1500 to win the event at the Le Chelle Inernational track meet. This places her 5th on the NZ all-time list behind Nikki Hamblin, Lucy van Dalen Toni Hodgkinson and Chrissie Pfitzinger.
NZSSCC
The national schools cross country will be held next weekend on a Mosgiel golf course so good luck to all Hawks school athletes who are taking part. At Tokoroa on Wednesday last at the WBOP SS cross country wins were recorded by Grace Ritchie and Isaiah Priddey in the intermediate races while second places went to Harry Ewing SB and Ariana Lord SG. They all showed the form to place well nationally.
At Porritt Stadium Stuart Farquhar threw the javelin a promising 81.30 in cold wet and windy conditions as part of his lead up to the world champs in Beijing.
