New Zealand Add Two Further Athletes To Bumper World Indoor Championships Team

New Zealand will boast a ten-strong team to compete at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow (1-4 Mar NZT) after two further athletes – sprinter Tiaan Whelpton and middle-distance runner James Preston – were added to the final team.

Last week, eight athletes were announced in the initial selection – which at that time was the largest Kiwi contingent to feature in the history of the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The inclusion of Whelpton in the men’s 60m and James Preston in the men’s 800m further bolsters the New Zealand stocks in Scotland as the team seek to make an impact in the countdown to the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Whelpton, who represented New Zealand in the 100m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, will be making his World Indoor Championships debut. The third fastest Kiwi over 100m in history following his 10.14 clocking in Yokohama last year has spent a prolonged period in recent months training in South Africa.

In December the Cantabrian set a 60m PB of 6.66 in Pamplona, Spain in December to close in on the national record of 6.59 was set by Gus Nketia at the 1995 World Indoor Championships in Barcelona.

Preston, the first New Zealand athlete to be selected in the men’s 800m at a World Indoor Championships since Mark Rogers in 2001, has enjoyed an excellent start to 2024. The national 800m champion, who appeared in the Black Singlet at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, opened his campaign by winning in Hastings in his fastest ever 800m time in New Zealand (1:45.89).

The part-time engineer from Wellington then followed this up by clocking the third fastest time of his career when second in Adelaide (1:45.50) before maintaining his consistent 2024 with victory in Melbourne on 15 Feb in 1:46.02.

In the initial selection, New Zealand announced a team eight athletes which included men’s shot put duo Tom Walsh – who is seeking a fifth successive World Indoor podium spot – and Jacko Gill. The 2022 World Indoor Championships bronze medallist Hamish Kerr returns in the men’s high jump with George Beamish, fresh off his national 5000m record in Boston, selected for the men’s 1500m.

World number two Eliza McCartney – who cleared a high-quality 4.84m in Lievin - competes in the women’s pole vault while Zoe Hobbs takes to the track in the women’s 60m after reaching the semi-finals at the last edition of the event in 2022. Maddi Wesche in the women’s shot and Maia Ramsden in the women’s 1500m make their World Indoor Championships debuts.

Team Leader Kat Austin said: “We are proud of the size and quality of the New Zealand team for Glasgow, and we are delighted to add the selection of both Tiaan and James. The championship will be a great experience for the pair, and we look forward to seeing how both athletes perform in Scotland.”

Full team

Women

Zoe Hobbs – 60m – Coach (James Mortimer)

Maia Ramsden – 1500m – Coach (Alex Gibby)

Eliza McCartney – Pole Vault – Coach (Scott Simpson)

Maddi Wesche – Shot Put – Coach (Mike Schofield)

Men

Tiaan Whelpton – 60m - Coach (Hennie Kriel)

James Preston – 800m – Coach - (Evan Cooper)

George Beamish – 1500m – Coach (Dathan Ritzenhein)

Hamish Kerr – High Jump – Coach (James Sandilands)

Jacko Gill – Shot Put – Coach (Dale Stevenson)

Tom Walsh – Shot Put – Coach (Hayden Hall)

*For a full schedule of when the Kiwis are competing at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships go here

*For more information on the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships go

here

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