pacific games, noumea 2011 - Oceania Athletics Association

New Zealand Team
Commonwealth Youth Games
Isle of Man
9 th – 11 th September 2011
The New Zealand Team comprising of 14 from Athletics
with their management flew out of Auckland on the 3rd
September. Many of the team on their first long haul
flight, some their first opportunity to represent New
Zealand.
The first 2 days in the Isle of Man the team spent resting
with light recovery sessions in preparation for their
competition. Watching the other teams come in, many by
ferry, arriving with some very green faces with big seas
running from the tail of the cyclone that had recently hit
America.
Wednesday Pete Wardell our Chef de Mission and NZOC
team had organised a New Zealand team function.
Travelling by tram the team was taken to a restaurant at
the top of the Highest Mountain on the Isle of Man where it
is said all five kingdoms can be seen. England, Scotland,
Wales, Ireland and the kingdom of God. There each team
member and management was presented with a team
book and Koru as a memento of their representation of
New Zealand.
Thursday night the opening ceremony was held. The
opening ceremony saw all 65 competing countries with
their athlete‘s parade in for the opening addresses and
Athlete oath. The opening performances by hundreds of
local performers illustrated the history and traditions of
Manx culture, including fire breathing dragons, gods and
of course the Manx cat.
Friday saw the beginning of competition on the track with
cool and windy conditions. Kodi Harman and Blair Grant
both made the semi-finals in the 100m then both finished
7th in their semi-finals in 11.12 seconds and 11.13
seconds respectively. Tom Symes ran his heat of the
400m in 49.89 seconds and went on to the semi finishing
4th in 49.88 seconds and progressing to the final.
Day 2 saw another cool windy day with Kodi Harman and
Dalton Coppins both starting in the 200m. Kodi running
22.45 seconds and Dalton 21.42 seconds which saw the
men reach the semi -final. Tom Symes ran his final in the
400m finishing 6th in 50.40 seconds. Kieron McDonald ran
STORY
his first of three 800m races finishing 1st in his heat in
2m6.27 seconds. Richard Callister was the 1st of the field
Athletes to appear in the men‘s Discus. With some very
tough South African and Australian competition Richard
finished 10th with his best performance 46.17m. Chei
Kenneally New Zealand‘s Queensland based thrower
competed in the Women‘s Shot finishing 3rd with 12.96m
with a closely contested battle with 4th place getter
Duquemin of Jamaica. Greer Alsop competed in a strong
Long Jump field finishing 4th with a best effort of 5.83m.
Kerry White finished 2nd in her heat of the 800m going
through to the final on Sunday. Australian based Madison
Gipson finished 4th in her heat of the 200m progressing to
the semi on Sunday. Again lining up, this time in the 100m
hurdles Madison with fellow Kiwi Mackenzie Keenan both
progressed to the final where Madison finished 6th in
13.99 seconds and Mackenzie 7th in 14.15 seconds.
Completing a long action packed day for New Zealand.
Day 3 Madison Gipson finished 4th in the semi of the
200m in 25.60 seconds and Dalton Coppins progressed
into the final of the 200m with a 2nd place time of 21.64
seconds. Leading the final for the first 150m Dalton
finished 3rd in a photo finish and received New Zealand‘s
2nd Bronze track and field medal. Kieron McDonald
finished 4th in the semi-final of the 8oom and in a Kenyon
dominated final 6th in 1m56.27 seconds. Kerry White
finished 4th in her 800m final in 2m13.80 seconds. Matt
Baxter started in a straight final of the 3000m finishing 7th
in 8m46.39 seconds. Greer Alsop in the triple jump
produced New Zealand‘s best result of the games winning
the silver medal with a best jump of 12.39m. Kyle Van der
Merwe competed in the Javelin during the worst period of
weather of the Games. Horizontal rain and gale cross
winds. Unable to adjust to the conditions and carrying an
ankle injury Kyle finished 9th with 40.49m. With much
improved weather in the afternoon Kyle went onto the
Shot finishing 7th with a put close to personal best of
16.04m. Fellow New Zealander Alex Fafeita in the Shot
finished 8th with 15.67m. Earlier in the Hammer Alex had
finished 4th with a personal best throw of 64.61m. Richard
Callister also competed in the hammer finishing 6th with
55.47m and also producing a new Auckland M16 record.
Chei Kenneally competed with a very strong women‘s
hammer field finishing 5th with a best of 46.88m
Oceania RDC Bulletin 2011 Page 16