Long-standing NZ sprint record broken

Sprinters Rosie Elliott and Georgia Hulls challenged each other to record Personal Bests.
Photo: Alisha Lovrich

A sprinting duel helped Rosie Elliott smash the New Zealand women’s 200 metre record at the International Track Meet in Christchurch.

Elliott posted a blistering time of 22.81 seconds to break the record set by Monique Williams at 22.90 14 years ago.

The 25-year-old pipped Georgia Hulls by 0.03 seconds to take the win and the record.

A 400m world champioships representative, Elliott has been focusing on her one-lap distance.

“I’m surprised because it definitely wasn’t the goal for the season, but you can’t be unhappy with a New Zealand record,” Elliott said.

“I think it is important to mention that Georgia and I pushed each other the entire way and I don’t think we would be running these times without one another.

“If I’m setting a PB in the 200m it is very encouraging and it shows me that I can run a huge PB in the 400m.”

Elliott also lowered the New Zealand resident record mark previously set by Williams of 23.15 in Wellington in 2009 and registered new meet and stadium records.

The women’s 200m entry standard time for the 2023 World Athletics Championships is 22.60.

Elliott said she did not plan to run any more 200m races this season with the 400m the primary focus at the New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington in early March.

Auckland-based and Hawkes Bay-raised Hulls, 23, was inflicted a first domestic defeat over 200m since 2020 but was still super pumped with her performance.

“I would have preferred to have won but 22.84 is not a bad consolation prize,” said Hulls, who represented her country in the 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.

“I’m running in Melbourne on Thursday, so I don’t think it sets me up badly and is a good confidence boost. We’ll see how I go up against some other girls then.”

Elliott also offered further evidence of her versatility by matching her PB set at the 2022 national to win the women’s 100m in a meet record 11.57 (1.1), repelling the challenge of Livvy Wilson (11.74) and Anna Percy (11.82) who both posted season best times.

Tom Walsh flexed his not inconsiderable muscles to pop out a stadium record of 21.80m and his longest throw in New Zealand for five years to put on a demonstration of world-class shot putting.

The Commonwealth shot champion opened up with a season’s best of 21.35m before heaving the 7.26kg metal ball out to 21.80m in round two.

He showed impressive consistency to unleash 21.74m and 21.67m efforts in rounds five and six to show he is bang in form as he looks to secure a 14th successive national shot put title.

“I think it was knocking on the door which is what I wanted from this comp – six good throws. I didn’t quite get all the way through the ball for a few of them, but it was definitely an improvement for sure,” Walsh said.

Australian champion Aiden Harvey (18.24m) secured second ahead of 2022 New Zealand bronze medallist Nick Palmer (17.79m).

Tiaan Whelpton dominated the men’s 100m in a meet record time 10.25 seconds.

Fergus McLeay, 21, finished just 0.02 shy his lifetime best to run 10.74 to take second with former national U20 100m champion Tommy Te Puni 0.04 further back in third.

Connor Bell eased to top spot in the men’s discus bettering his meet and stadium record with a throw of 64.65m in round one.

Tatiana Kaumoana once again found the circle at Nga Puna Wai to her liking to win the women’s discus with a best of 55.82m – the second longest throw of her career behind her PB of 56.51m achieved at the same meet 12 months earlier.

The men’s 800m went to the script as James Preston dominated to claim an emphatic victory in a time 1.47.66.

Russell Green finished strongly to bank second – just 0.15 shy of his lifetime best set at this same meet 12 months ago – to clock 1:52.85 ahead of Tom Moulai (1:53.64) rounding out the top three.

Jenny Hauke claimed a commanding victory in the women’s 800m, posting a season’s best time of 2:06.55. The 30-year-old Papakura AC athlete took the race by the scruff off the neck once the pacemaker departed and eased to a comfortable win.

Behind, Tillie Hollyer (Whippets), just one week after obliterating her lifetime best for the 1500m in Hamilton, lowered her 800m PB by 0.01 clocking 2:08.79. Rosa Twyford, the 2021 national 800m champion, outslugged meet record-holder Angie Petty down the home straight to nab third in 2:09.76.

Anna Percy, who has returned to hurdling after a period focused on sprinting, shattered the meet record and trimmed 0.04 from her lifetime best to record 13.77 (0.3) en route to a stylish victory in the women’s 100m hurdles.

The men’s 110m hurdles also delivered a quality display as multi-eventer Masaki Tomooka blitzed to victory by equalling his PB of 15.14 – almost a full second clear of Oceania decathlon Max Attwell in 16.10.

Te Puni, the third place finisher in the men’s 100m, returned “to redeem himself” to win the men’s 200m in a handy 21.20 (0.0) – within 0.04 of his lifetime best. Fergus McLeay and Jackson Rogers were given joint second and were rewarded with a pair of PB’s courtesy of slick 21.36 clockings.

Four-time national hammer champion Anthony Nobilo maintained his red-hot form in 2023 by adding 51cm on to his meet record, powering out the 7.26kg implement to a best of 66.95m achieved in round two. In the women’s hammer two-time British champion Jessica Mayho was a little shy of her very best but finished in top spot with a best of 61.93m clear of Christchurch Old Boys athlete Lexi Maples (57.33m), who came within 34cm of her lifetime best.

New Zealand U18 heptathlon record-holder Maddie Wilson also enjoyed a day to remember adding 4cm to her lifetime best to win the women’s high jump with a meet record of 1.82m.