Zoe Dazzles With Record-breaking Performance In Mackay

Zoe Hobbs lit up the opening day of the Oceania Area Championships in Mackay by blasting to a stunning Oceania record time of 11.09 (+0.8m/s) to strike gold in the senior women’s 100m.

Three times during the domestic season she lowered the New Zealand women’s 100m record and today on a wet track and in lightly falling rain in Queensland she clipped a further 0.06 from that time.

In conditions which were far from ideal for sprinting, the performance is hugely encouraging for the 24-year-old ahead of bigger challenges that lie ahead at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

An elated Zoe Hobbs, who finished 0.25 clear of silver medallist Bree Masters of Australia, said: “I was so shocked to run an opener (first race since the Australian Champs in early April) and in the 11.0s is beyond what I was expecting. I came into these championships and I thought if I ran under 11.2 I would have been super stoked. I can’t believe that has just happened.

“My goals was to get out quick and then focus on my own race. I managed to do that and it set me up well for the race. The start helped a lot.

“Since running the Aussie Champs I went through a reload phase in the gym and this (the Oceania Championships) wasn’t a priority - the priority is the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, so to run a time that quickly this early is very exciting.”

Zoe, who trimmed 0.02 from the Oceania record of Australian Melissa Breen, will now be based in Germany for a month and plans to run three competitions in Europe before she heads out to the US for the World Athletics Championships.

On a day which rained medals for the New Zealand team, World Championship-bound athlete Sam Tanner maintained his outstanding recent form by cruising to victory in the senior men’s 1500m.

Ten days earlier Sam posted a 1500m personal best and World Championships entry standard time of 3:34.37 to win the prestigious Prefontaine Classic and backed up that form today.

Seizing control of the race before the final 600m he turned on the gas to pull clear of the opposition and strike gold in 3:42.56 to finish two places higher than he did as a teenager at the 2019 edition of the Oceania Championships in Townsville.

Sam, who plans one more race in LA before worlds, said: “It was nice to come over here and win. It was warmer than New Zealand but it was a bit wet with a bit of breeze but a good run.

“I had a bit more of an intense training week last week coming off Pre, it was just a good hard effort the goal was just to run a good last lap

“It’s cool to win the title I came third here in 2019, these boys took out hard today and gave me a run for my money.”

Matthew Taylor of New Zealand won the bronze medal in 3:50.18

Hamish Kerr retained his Oceania title as he defied the wet to strike gold with a best of 2.24m. The 25-year-old World Indoor bronze medallist made a successful clearance with his second attempt but considering the demanding conditions he was satisfied with his efforts to secure a gold medal from Australian Yual Reath (2.21m).

“I’m pretty stoked to get the win. I was a little frustrated with some of my jumping some were sub-standard but I got some good jumps in me and hopefully that will come out more in the coming weeks.

“I was on high after World Indoors and winning my first global medal, but since then it has been up and down. I got Covid and I had a month off training, which has pushed everything back. It is nice to know, I’ve got through that and I know what I need to do to really perform. Coming back to Australia was about the competition but also about also connecting with my physio, my coach and girlfriend and all the other special people in my life.”

Australia edged New Zealand in a highly-competitive senior men’s 100m final as Eddie Osei-Nketia took silver in 10.23 (+1.2m/s) with fastest qualifier Tiaan Whelpton having to settle for fourth in 10.36.

In a tight run race Jake Doran in a time of 10.19 secured the Oceania title from the New Zealand champion with Australia’s Joshua Azzopardi (10.27) grabbing bronze.

Tori Peeters defeated Australia’s world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber in a high-class women’s javelin but had to settle for silver behind Barber’s compatriot Mackenzie Little.

The New Zealand record-holder produced a highly-competitive series twice breaching 60m – unleashing a best of 60.68 in round four 5cm further than Barber - but on this occasion had to concede to Little who produced a personal best of 63.12m.

Mariah Ririnui saved her best until last as a 6.20m leap in the final round – her longest leap for five years - elevated the Tauranga-based athlete to bronze behind Australia’s gold medallist Tomysha Clark (6.38m).

New Zealand senior 3000m and 10,000m race walk champion Courtney Ruske added the Oceania senior women’s 5000m race walk title in a time of 25:02.84.

Double Paralympic sprint medallist Danielle Aitchison defied a nagging back injury to win bronze in the women’s para 100m in a time of 14.51. Factoring in the injury, the 21-year-old Waikato sprinter executed a fine piece of sprinting to win another medal on the international stage.

Kiwis in action Wednesday 8 June see here

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