McCartney reaches Planet Championship regular
Eliza McCartney
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Rio 2016 Olympic pole vault bronze medalist Eliza McCartney has accomplished her summer season aim of gaining at Planet Championship qualifying regular.
McCartney posted a season most effective and Planet Championship entry regular of four.71m to win at the Brisbane Track Classic.
Right after facing her injury challenges in current years, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist has recommended all through a self-confidence boosting season – which integrated a initial New Zealand title for six years – a return to her vintage most effective.
At the Continental Tour Silver meet the 26-year-old Aucklander emphatically underlined the point by bettering her season’s most effective by 10cm to accomplish the entry regular for the Budapest Planet Championships.
McCartney flirted with danger at her opening height of four.45m, requiring a third time clearance to remain involved in the competitors.
Even so, soon after the early scare she discovered her rhythm at her subsequent height of four.65m, soaring clear at the initial time of asking ahead of the bar was raised to that important four.71m height. Right after missing out with her opening try she pinged more than with her second work to safe her most effective height due to the fact January 2019.
Olivia McTaggart – who has currently clinched the four.71m Planet Championship entry regular – had to settle for second with a most effective of four.45m. New Zealand completed a clean sweep of the podium with Imogen Ayris taking third in four.25m.
McCartney mentioned: “I am elated and relieved and I am very exhausted as well, I place a lot into that nowadays.
“I am locating my feet very a bit and this season and it is all about lots of practise jumping. At my opening height (of four.45m) I should have had 4 or 5 attempts at that height since I kept pulling out with dodgy winds and walking back on the runway, which it not how you want to do it.
“This week in instruction I’ve began carrying out a 14-step run up, which is my favourite – that was my step up when winning bronze in Rio and for my PB (of four.94m in 2018).
“I feel that added speed (from the 14-step run-up) meant I did not have to perform so really hard (at clearing four.71m), even although I am on equivalent poles, and I can just go for it.”
Zoe Hobbs extended her unbeaten record for the year by claiming a convincing victory in the women’s 100m, recording a time of 11.20 (-.1).
Eddie Osei-Nketia signed off his athletics profession in style to inflict defeat on his Australian rival Rohan Browning and claim an emphatic victory in the men’s 100m, recording a slick season’s most effective mark of ten.13 (-1.0m/s).
Osei-Nketia, the New Zealand 100m record-holder who is leaving the sport to take up American Football at the University of Hawai’i, developed a blistering commence and swiftly established handle of the race.
Osei-Nketia mentioned post-race: “It is emotional now that I am leaving the sport. It is heart-breaking. All the memories I’ve created and all the competitors I’ve competed against. It is sad, but all superior points come to an finish.”
Canterbury’s Tiaan Whelpton was third with of a time of ten.34s.
James Preston maintained his one hundred per cent record more than the two-lap distance in 2023 to claim one more Kiwi victory at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre to make an assured men’s 800m victory in 1:47.00.
Sitting midfield at the bell, Preston, the New Zealand all-time 800m quantity 3, created a decisive move down the back straight on the final lap accelerating swiftly to the front ahead of repelling the challenge of Australia’s Jack Lunn to clinch best spot by .15. Lunn’s countryman Jamie Harrison picked up third in 1:47.39 with Kiwi Brad Mathas, the national 800m silver medallist, crossing the line fourth in 1:47.58.
Rosie Elliott dug deep to preserve her unbeaten women’s 400m record in 2023 to overhaul Ellie Beer in the latter stages and grab an absorbing victory in 52.88.
Double Paralympic extended jump champion Anna Grimaldi showed impressive sprint type to record 12.61 (+.9) – and come inside .01 of her national T47 100m record in the women’s para 100m.
New Zealand double Paralympic sprint medallist Danielle Aitchison T36 also developed a superior run to cross the line sixth in 14.19.
