Connor Bell Smashes New Zealand Men’s Discus Record

Connor Bell tonight set a New Zealand senior men’s discus record* of 66.14m at the Pre-Potts meeting in Hastings to surpass the 21-year-old mark of Ian Winchester (65.03m).

The 21-year-old Aucklander, who on New Year’s Day in Tauranga added 2cm to his PB with a 64.31m effort, has long harboured hopes of the record and tonight at Mitre 10 Park all the stars aligned as he produced a sensational display.

Connor opened with a 65.00m throw – just 3cm shy of his Winchester’s long-held mark set in California. He followed this up with a foul in round two before registering 60.82m with his third effort. In round four he started to find his range again with a 63.92m throw before producing a dazzling 66.14m hurl in round five to take the record. He climaxed the competition with a foul.

To put his performance in perspective, his New Zealand record-breaking throw of 66.14m would have earned him a silver medal at the Birmingham 2002 Commonwealth Games and seventh place at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

Connor struck gold at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games but in late-2021 he broke an ankle which impacted him throughout 2022. Last year he was crowned national and Oceania champion but below his best at the Commonwealth Games he finished eighth with a best of 60.23m.

His mighty 66.14m hurl was also a New Zealand resident record and was not far short of the New Zealand allcomers record held by two-time former Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania which stands at 66.81m set in 1999.

Connor next competes on Saturday at the Potts Classic in Hastings.

*Subject to ratification

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