Athletics New Zealand results round up

 LONDON - 25 July 2009
New Zealand's world ranked runner Kimberley Smith finished third in the 5000m at the Grand Prix meeting at Crystal Palace.
Smith ran 14m 52.49s, just six and a half seconds outside her New Zealand national record set in Rome a year ago.
The race was won by Beijing Olympic Games 5000m and 10,000m gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia in 14m 33.65s. Sentayehu Ejigu of Ethiopia was second in 14m 40.00s. Dibaba back from injury and having her first race since May set a Crystal Palace stadium record.
The result confirms Smith's position as the world's leading non-African female distance runner and this time ranks her 15th in the world this year with seven Ethiopians and seven Kenyans ahead of her.
Smith won the Bupa 10km road race in London in May in 31m 38s.
The 27 year old has been entered in the 5000m and 10,000m at the forthcoming world championships in athletics in Berlin next month.
Monique Williams finished fourth in the 400m B race in 53.91s at the Aviva Grand Prix meeting on Friday. Williams has been selected for the 200m and 400m at the world championships.

BRASSCHAAT, BELGIUM - 26 July 2009
Internationale Atletiek @ Vlaanderen
Nikki Hamblin ran a personal best 800m of 2m 00.90s is finishing third in a blanket finish in Brasschaat. This clipped 1.21s off her previous best. Hamblin is now ranked second on the New Zealand all-time list behind Toni Hodgkinson's 1m 58.25s in Atlanta in 1996, with Marise Chamberlain third ranked with 2m 1.4s in Perth in 1962.
At the same meeting James Dolphin was second over 200m in 21.25s, Richard Olsen was seventh in the B 1500m in 3m 46s and Erin Montgomery ran 4m 39s in the B 1500m.

Meanwhile Nikki Hamblin has been included in the New Zealand team to the world championships in athletics in Berlin next month.
The 21 year old will compete in the 1500m. Hamblin from England has been through an involved process over the last three months to first secure New Zealand residency, followed by citizenship and then a clearance from the UK to compete for New Zealand.
Scott Newman, chief executive officer of Athletics New Zealand, said he is pleased that Hamblin can now compete for New Zealand.
"We are delighted that all the formalities have been completed and Nikki's country of allegiance has formally been changed from Great Britain to New Zealand," said Newman.
The high performance director of Athletics New Zealand Kevin Ankrom said her entry into the 1500m at Berlin has been confirmed.
"I'm happy that the process is over. It was done in a short time-frame and I hope to have a good result at the worlds," said Ankrom.

ANGERS, FRANCE - 25 July 2009
World and Olympic shot put champion Valerie Vili won the shot with a put of 20.18m at the French national championships.

GHENT, BELGIUM - 21 July 2009
Andrew Moore finished third in the 400m in 47.49s at the Flanders Cup meeting. Richard Olsen was sixth in the 800m C race in 1m 52.92s, Tim Prendergast was ninth in the 1500m C race in 3m 55.94s and Marissa Pritchard was third in the long jump 5.58m (-0.3).

HEXHAM, ENGLAND - 18/19 July 2009
Tynedale Athletics Park
Rebecca Wardell won the UK combined events challenge heptathlon with a score of 5678 points (100m H 14.43s +1.0, HJ 1.60m, SP 13.48m, 200m 25.48s (+1.3), LJ 5.63m (+2.2) JT 45.10m, 800m 2m 13.12s). Sarah Cowley was fifth with 5221 points.

AUCKLAND - 25 July 2009
Junior M19 runner Tom Stewart won the annual Glen Eden 16km road race around the Waitakere Ranges outright on Saturday.
Stewart recorded 57m 34s for the tough up and down hill race, five minutes outside Mark Bright's race record. Simon Yarrow was second with Warwick Brenan third.
Emma Hunter improved by eight minutes on her second placing last year to win the women's section in 1h 10m 38s.