Tina Sets New NZ Record At World Junior Athletics

Media Release
25 July 2012

Tina Sets New NZ Record At World Junior Athletics Championships

Auckland schoolgirl Tina (Siositina) Hakeai has just finished in 4th place at the world junior athletic championships in Barcelona, and her coach says it’s all thanks to ‘throw for Gold.’

Tina threw a staggering 56.17-metre at the champs. That’s the best ever throw by a New Zealand school-aged female and makes her this country’s top discus thrower.

The throw saw the Auckland Girls’ Grammar pupil from Mangere increase her New Zealand 18-year old women’s record by 1.7 metres. The throw also added almost one metre to the New Zealand 18-year old women’s record set by former world senior champion Beatrice Faumuina.

Tina is now ranked 7th in the world for women’s discus under-20 year olds.

Coach Nigel Edwards says that her impressive performance would just not have happened without ‘Throw for Gold.’

“Without Throw for Gold’s support, you would never have heard of Tina Hakeai. Now she will become a household name,” he said after Tina’s performance this week at the world champs.

The John Walker Find Your Field of Dream Foundation has been running the Throw for Gold programme since 2010 in association with Athletics Auckland and The Lion Foundation to identify and develop talented athletes in discus, shotput and javelin. Selected athletes like Tina undergo intensive training with specialist coaches throughout the winter seasons. Last year, Throw for Gold athletes won one-third of all throws medals at the Greater Auckland Athletic Championships.

“We want to help kids realise their sporting potential,” says foundation chairman Sir John Walker.

The foundation, a not for profit charitable trust, has worked for four years to positively engage and encourage at-risk Auckland youth to participate in an activity, healthy lifestyle through a range of sports and physical activity programmes. The foundation works in a strategic partnership with Auckland Council.

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