Elliott Posts National Women’s 200m Record With Stunning Performance

In a dazzling display of domestic sprinting at the International Track Meet in Christchurch today, Rosie Elliott smashed the New Zealand women’s 200m record, posting a blistering 22.81 (+1.8). Georgia Hulls in second finished just 0.03 adrift and also dipped below the former record of Monique Williams which stood at 22.90 from 2009.

Elliott, 25, the 2022 World Championship 400m representative, last season shifted up in distance to focus more on the one-lap distance and in Whanganui last month she set a 400m PB of 52.16.

Today Elliott made the most of ideal conditions and a ‘noreaster’ which saw officials move the 200m start to the opposite side of the track to give the athletes every benefit of the wind.

In a titanic duel between the pair the Christchurch-based Elliott just prevailed, edging Hulls, the national 200m champion, on the dip to provide the perfect climax to the track programme at Nga Puna Wai.

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

“Today is promising and a good sign for the 400m. 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 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington (2-5 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.”

Earlier, Rosie Elliott, 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 (since his New Zealand resident record mark of 22.67m set in Waitakere in March 2018) to put on a demonstration of world-class shot putting.

Bathed in sunshine, the crowd at Nga Puna Wai were treated to a masterclass by the Commonwealth shot champion who 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 in Wellington next month.

Walsh said of his impressive victory: “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.

“It was quite nerve-wracking today because I had so many people here that mean so much to me. My whole team is here, mum and dad and fiancé Dana. It is awesome to have them here but it does add another layer of stress and of wanting to put on a good show for them. I’m happy I threw well today. I didn’t quite get that 22-metre throw, but it is a step in the right direction.”

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

Tiaan Whelpton executed another fine piece of sprinting to dominant the men’s 100m and win in a meet record time 10.25 (0.0). The Christchurch Old Boys United athlete twice matched his New Zealand resident record of 10.18 at the Potts Classic but without the benefit of a handy tailwind today he fell 0.07 short of that mark, but nonetheless confirmed his excellent shape with an outstanding performance in which he also matched his stadium record.

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.

Whelpton next plans to compete in Melbourne on Thursday where he will face a top-class international line-up.

Connor Bell, who set a senior men’s New Zealand discus record in Hastings last month of 66.14m, produced another top-quality performance to ease to top spot at Nga Puna Wai to better his meet and stadium record with a best of 64.65m in round one. The 21-year-old North Harbour Bays athlete then rattled off a consistent series, registering marks of 63.89m, 63.57m and 64.28m from rounds four through to six.

Samoan international Nathanial Sulupo approached his best to hurl the 2kg discus out to 51.63m in second.

Bell was satisfied with his throwing today and it looking forward to competing against Commonwealth champion Matt Denny of Australia in Geelong on Wednesday.

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. The all-time New Zealand number three for the two-lap distance, shadowed the pacemaker for the first lap before running the remainder of the race solo as the tall Wellington Scottish athlete devoured up the track to clinch an emphatic victory.

Behind, 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.

Preston, who next plans to compete on Thursday at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne, said: “It was a bit difficult with the wind, a solo effort but not too bad. My plans are to keep the ball rolling and see how fast I can run. I just want to put myself in positions to win races and run fast.”

Jenny Hauke backed up her victory at the Porritt Classic in Hamilton last week by claiming 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. Percy, a two-time former New Zealand 400m hurdles champion, who also featured as part of the national record-setting women’s 4x100m team at the Oceania Championships last June, further underlined her impressive versatility to finished clear of Maggie Jones, the dethroned meet record holder, who had the consolation of setting a PB of 14.43. National heptathlon champion Christina Ryan also chipped 0.01 from her lifetime best, clocking 14.68.

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

Tommy 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.

Victory in a high-class men’s triple jump was taken by Australian Aiden Hinson who secured the meet record and stadium record with a monster PB of 16.72m (0.0). His fellow countrymen Connor Murphy (16.13m) and Ayo Ore (16.09m) completed the top three with four-time national champion Ebuka Okpala adding 6cm on to his five-year-old PB with a first round leap of 15.59m (0.6) to place fifth.

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.

Another meet and stadium record tumbled in the women’s triple jump as Australian Desleigh Owusu bounded out to a huge 13.38m (-0.8) to claim a comfortable victory from New Zealand Secondary Schools champion Hannah Collins, who registered a solid 11.79m (-0.5).

Training partner to Commonwealth champion Hamish Kerr, Adam Stack added 1cm to his lifetime best set when winning the Oceania U20 title last June as he soared clear at 2.08m at the second time of asking to clinch an impressive win in the men’s high jump. Levi Murdoch, the national U18 silver medallist, made the most of the ideal jumping conditions to add 2cm to his PB to clear 1.97m with his third attempt to secure a confidence-boosting second place.

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. Wilson, 20, of Christchurch Old Boys United eclipsed Keeley O’Hagan and Imogen Skelton who shared second with a best of 1.79m.

Rorie Poff added 13cm on his national senior and men’s U20 F34 shot put record with a best of 7.26m to take victory. Double Paralympic sprint medallist Danielle Aitchison (T36) on world record percentage claimed the 100m and 200m double in 14.16 (3.0) and 30.29 (1.5) respectively.

Results here – Note the Para results have yet been correctly formatted into world record percentage order

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