Record-breaking Morning For Quentin Rew, Lisa Adams And Kayla Goodwin

Quentin Rew created another slice of New Zealand race walking history by wiping more than nine seconds from his national 10,000m track race walking record on day three of the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Christchurch.

Just two days after Rew struck 3000m race walk gold in dire conditions, the two-time Olympian returned to Ngā Puna Wai and put on an impressive demonstration of his gifts over the 25-lap distance.

Recording a slick time of 40:42:11, the 35-year-old comfortably bettered the 40:51:55 clocking he posted in Canberra two years ago.

“I was happy with that, the conditions were much better today (than on Friday in the 3000m race walk),” explains Rew. “I went through 400m on about a 40-minute pace just cruising and felt good.

“The pace dropped a little in the second half but I’m pretty happy.

“Things haven’t been going that well for me in recent races but I’m from a science background and am usually pretty level-headed, I know I’m training well and in good shape but it is nice to have that vindication (of a good performance).”

Rew was also delighted to add another national record to his impressive CV.

“When we think of New Zealand athletics we often think of shot put and 1500m but race walking is one of our top events. Harry Kerr was New Zealand’s first ever Olympic medallist winning bronze in the 3500m race walk (at the 1908 London Olympics). Norm Read won the 1956 Olympic (50km race walking) title, we have as many Olympic champions as a race walking powerhouse like Australia. We punch well above our weight and to carry on that tradition and set a New Zealand record is something I’m really proud of.”

Alana Barber (Auckland) also completed the 3000m and 10,000m track race walking double with victory in the latter event in a time of 45:34.39.

The 2018 Commonwealth 20km race walking silver medallist did not quite achieve her target time of 45 minutes – she recorded 44:57.20 in Melbourne for the distance in January – but was satisfied with her efforts.

“I wanted to get used to the feel of race walking at the Olympic standard (at the 20km race walk of 1:31:00) pace of 45:30, I didn’t quite do that but overall I’m happy. Winning a national title is something I never take for granted.”

Laura Langley (Hawkes Bay) secured a second successive silver medal in the 20km race walk, recording 49:35.36 with Courtney Ruske (Canterbury) completing the podium positions in 52:12.84.

Kayla Goodwin smashed the New Zealand U20 record with a mighty leap of 12.87m en route to the senior women’s triple jump title. It was a hugely impressive display from the 18-year-old Waikato Bay of Plenty athlete, who earlier in the championships mined U20 women’s triple and long jump gold, U20 100m hurdles silver and senior women’s long jump as well as a 4x100m bronze.

London 2012 Olympian Sarah Cowley-Ross (Waikato BOP), 36, earned a silver medal after breaking the sand at 12.66m with Anna Thomson (Wellington) 3cm further back in bronze.

Goodwin, 18, who will move to the US in August to study at the University of Central Missouri in August, said: “At last year’s nationals I won more gold medals (five) but I definitely think I enjoyed this competition a lot more,” explains. “I am really proud of my achievements, I felt I was mentally ready and in the right head space. I got a PB in the hurdles and the triple jump was probably the best competition (meet) I’ve ever done.”

Goodwin added 10cm to Nneka Okpala’s former national U20 triple jump record but frustratingly fell 3cm short of the World U20 Championship qualification mark of 12.90m. She will now move on to the Australian Championships in an effort to attain the standard.

Anthony Nobilo (Auckland) mounted a successful defence of his senior men’s hammer title with a consistent series highlighted by a 59.94m hurl in round one. Todd Bates (Otago) with 51.47m and Anthony Barnes (Auckland) courtesy of a 50.17m throw secured the minor medals.

Amanda Holyer (Auckland) bagged the senior women’s steeplechase title on 12:15.14 with Eva Pringle (Canterbury) taking out the U20 women’s steeplechase title in 10:57.95.

Jaidyn Busch (Canterbury) completed her breakthrough meeting by securing the national women’s U20 shot title with a best of 14.68m – 8cm in advance of the World U20 Championship qualification mark.

Busch smashed her personal best to register 14.95m to place seventh in Friday’s senior women’s shot and backed it up today to defeat Kaia Tupu-South (Auckland), who had to settle for silver with 14.49m. Tupu-South has also previously banked the World U20 qualification mark.

Lisa Adams was in world record breaking form in yesterday’s F37 shot put and today hurled the discus out to 28.42m to add 4cm to her national record. Sionann Murphy bettered her NZ U17 F37 record with a throw of 23.19m.

Tommy Te Puni completed the men’s U20 sprint double by securing a narrow 200m victory in a slick 21.25 (+2.5m/s). The 17-year-old Aucklander was an impressive winner over the 100m distance on Friday and he repelled the late-charging Australian Daniel Parkes by 0.06 to nab top spot once again. Tyron Hilton (Waikato BOP) was the bronze medallist in 21.35.

Annalies Kalma yesterday produced a top-quality run to strike gold in the senior women’s 400m final and the 16-year-old today added a 200m U18 silver, recording 24.21 – with the benefit of a +5.0m/s wind reading. Nadia Evans (Auckland) prevailed in 23.94 to take top spot on the podium. The 14-year-old Marielle Venida grabbed bronze in 24.28.

Liam Ngchok-Wulf added a fifth medal to his impressive haul at the 2020 New Zealand Track & Field Championships with gold (45.37m) in the under-18 men’s discus. The Aucklander has also snared gold in the U18 shot and claimed silver medals in the U18 hammer, U20 hammer and U20 discus competitions across the three-day programme at Ngā Puna Wai.

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