Hamish Carson, Beatrice Faumuina, Elizabeth Lamb and Angie Smit all performed well at the Classic Meets where they competed. There is one meet in the series yet to run, the ITM (International Track Meet) in Christchurch on 18 March. For more information on the ITM go to http://www.internationaltrackmeet.co.nz/index.htm
Capital Classic - 22 January 2010 – Wellington
http://www.athletics.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=6013
Cooks Classic – 26 January 2010 – Whanganui
http://www.athleticswanganui.co.nz/
Sylvia Potts Classic – 29 January 2010 – Hastings
http://www.athletics.org.nz/article.aspx?ID=6064&Mode=1
Porritt Classic – 13 February 2010 – Hamilton
http://www.athletics.org.nz/article.aspx?ID=6065&Mode=1
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Hamish Carson (left) gets a pat on the back from Nick Willis after coming second in the National 3000m Championships. Photo www.nesport.co.nz
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Hamish Carson
Sylvia Potts Classic -1000m - 1st - 2:26.92
Capital Classic - 3000m (NZ Championship) – 2nd - 8:15.72
At the Sylvia Potts Classic in Hastings the Wellington Scottish athlete ran 2min 26.92sec to take first place in the 1000m. Carson says “My positioning wasn't so good at Potts, getting boxed in with a lap to go. Luckily I had enough strength to move around the field with 300m to go and come away with the win.”
At the Capital Classic in Wellington a few days earlier, the 21 year old came second to Nick Willis in the National 3000m Championships with 8min 15.72sec.
He says “I felt really good in the Capital Classic. I got into a good rhythm, and was happy to let Aaron Pulford set the pace for most of the race. Nick was on my tail till we both made our dash to the finish with 200m to go.”
Carson says “It seemed like a perfect opportunity to have a go at beating Nick as he was running the 800m half an hour before the 3000m. Unfortunately that did not transpire, as the 800m seemed to be little more than a warm-up for Nick. The fact that I ended up within a second of him was a result of both of us waiting till the last 200m to kick.”
The 21 year old said “Times were not important to me for either race as the 3000m was a national champs, and in the 1000m I was primarily concerned with gaining entry to the ITM in Christchurch. Both times were PB's, not that the times were that flash.”
Carson’s other attempts at national titles have been in March 2008 in Auckland - M19 1500m - Silver and March 2005 in Wanganui - M16 3000m - Bronze.
Over the next month or two he has his sights set on the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic, the International Track Meet in Christchurch and of course the Nationals. His goal for the year is a Commonwealth Games qualifier in the 1500m.
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Beatrice Faumuina has had some very encouraging results at the three classic meets that she attended. Photo www.nesport.co.nz
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Beatrice Faumuina
Sylvia Potts Classic – Discus – 1st - 60.19
Cooks Classic – Discus – 1st - 58.68
Capital Classic – Discus – 1st - 61.11
Beatrice Faumuina, the 1997 World Champion in the discus, has had some very encouraging results at the three classic meets that she attended and is very happy with the distances achieved. As she says “These have been really encouraging results. Given that …Ross Dallow, (my) coach and I started from the beginning working on how to throw again in December 2007, it’s just so exciting knowing the work we have done so far produced the results. After competing in Wellington I flew home to again compete at Waitakere - 59.99m, a good back up performance after throwing 61.11m the night before.”
She is currently working for Fonterra and Sanitarium as “Kick Start Breakfast Ambassador" - www.kickstartbreakfast.co.nz, studying towards a Bachelor of Business Studies Degree and training in pursuit of her fifth Commonwealth Games.
The ten time National Senior Womens Discus Champ says that her goal this season is “to keep exceeding the qualifying distance of 56m for the Commonwealth Games”. When asked what sort of distance she is capable of this season if the conditions were right, her reply is “wait and see”.
As far as ideal discus throwing conditions are concerned she says she is “yet to have them this season, always hoping to have a warm day/evening with a slight head wind. Not too strong a headwind as this can overturn the Women’s discus (1kg). Often the stronger head winds are more suited for the Men’s Discus (2kgs).”
Elizabeth Lamb
Cooks Classic – High Jump - W19 - 1st - 1.81
Capital Classic – High Jump - W19 - 1st - 1.80
Porritt Classic – High Jump - W19 - 1st - 1.85
Elizabeth Lamb has had a very consistent Classic series, culminating in a Commonwealth Games qualifying jump of 1.85m at the Porritt Classic.
The 18 year old is really happy with the result and said “To be honest I’m a bit relieved to have achieved this height at this still relatively early stage in the season.”
Coached by Brent Booker she says “I'm very happy with my fitness at the moment. My coach and I have put in the hard yards in training to help my body get into the shape that it needs to be, to deal with the jumping load over the next month or so. Although I am being careful at the moment with my left hamstring as it’s putting some pressure on my knee. She'll be right!”
She is in her second year of university studying a conjoint commerce and science degree, and says “judging on the jump at 1.85m I am definitely capable of jumping higher. The goal for the season is to maintain my jumping minimum at 1.80m, and to jump consistently around the 1.85m mark and higher.”
“Ideal high jump conditions would be a rubber poured track (bouncy), no wind , humid, warm (to keep the muscles warm) and overcast (so no glare when you’re jumping).”
This year she will be hoping to perform well at the World Junior Champs in July. She says
“One thing that high jump has really taught me is that if you don't think you can make it - you won't. Especially seeing as the height of the high jump bar goes up by maximum 5cm at a time; it’s really all in your head.”
Angie Smit
Sylvia Potts Classic – 800m – 1st - 2:08.10
Cooks Classic – 400m – 3rd - 56.91
Angie Smit won the Sylvia Potts memorial women's 800m at the Sylvia Potts Classic. It’s the big race at this meet and the Canterbury athlete was very excited to have won the race. She said “I know Sylvia Potts was an amazing runner, and being a memorial race made it even more exciting.”
“There was a strong field of talented athletes (16 of us in the race) so I was quite nervous before the race, but I knew all I could do was go and run the fastest I could that evening.”
She went out hard from the starting gun, and took the lead as they broke from the lanes down the back straight. She said “I wanted to make sure the first lap was fast, so I decided to take the lead early on. There were a few athletes right on my shoulder at this stage, and then I think the field got a bit more spaced out. However, it wasn’t until the last 150m that I got a little bit of a gap on Hannah and the next few placings were close behind.”
The eighteen year old, who has been coached by Maria Hassan since she was 13, said “It was definitely an honour to get the title, and looking at the big cup afterwards, with lots of great athletes’ names on made it even more special to me. I was a bit gutted that I didn’t get a personal best time, but I was very happy with the title. The prize money was a very nice bonus too.”
Just three days prior to the Potts Classic she raced over 400m at the Cooks Classic, a lead up race to the 800m. She said “There was a good field in the 400m at the Cooks Classic and it was an exciting race to be in … and I was still pleased to get third. It was a good lead up to the 800m at Potts, as it was good to get this speed race in a few days before my favourite event, the 800m.”
She is going to teachers college at Canterbury this year, to train to be a primary school teacher, but her ultimate goal (in athletics) for this season is to go to the World Juniors in July. She says “I have been aiming for this for a while, so I really would love to be able to go. And I don’t just want to go, I want to go and perform really well over there. Other goals this season also include getting PB's. I especially want to lower my 800m time as much as possible… and get good results!” |