Strong team named for world champs

Olympic and world champion Valerie Vili heads a strong team of eleven athletes who have been confirmed to represent New Zealand at the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin 15 to 23 August.

Vili will be defending her world shot put title won in Osaka in 2007.

It will be the fourth world championships for Vili after Paris in 2003 where she was fifth in the shot put, Helsinki 2005 for third and the title in Osaka.

The 24 year old has the top seven best performances in the world this year and leads the world rankings with her New Zealand national record of 20.69m set in Rio de Janeiro in May. The next best is Anna Avdeeva of Russia with 20.07m.

Also confirmed are Stuart Farquhar javelin throw, Brent Newdick decathlon, Kimberley Smith 5000m and 10,000m, Monique Williams 200m and 400m, Michael Aish marathon, Andrea Miller 100m hurdles, Nikki Hamblin 800m and 1500m and the women's world cup marathon team of Shireen Crumpton, Mary Davies and Fiona Docherty.

Smith was 15th in the 10,000m in Helsinki improving to fifth in Osaka. Last weekend in London Smith ran a fast 5000m, ranking her 16th in the world this year.

It will be the first world championships for Newdick who has been selected as a development athlete. Newdick was fourth in the decathlon at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Williams has been selected as a development athlete and will be entering her first senior championships after competing at the world youth championships in 2001 and the world junior championships in 2004. Williams won the recent World University Games 200m title.

Hamblin and Miller have also been selected as development athletes. Hamblin an English expatriate 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. The 21 year old will compete in the 800m and 1500m. Miller, who recently broke her own New Zealand national record, will compete in the 100m hurdles.

Aish won the recent Christchurch marathon in 2h 18m 18s, and has a best time of 2h 13m 21s in winning last year's Phoenix marathon.

Crumpton won the Gold Coast marathon last July in 2h 38m 16s, Davies qualified with her marathon debut in Vienna in April in 2h 42m 39s and Docherty with her 2h 42m 11s in Ottawa in May.

Three athletes originally named for the championships, Adrian Blincoe in the 5000m, James Dolphin in the 200m and Rebecca Wardell heptathlon have not been included in the final confirmation. They have been excluded as they have not reached the required standard to confirm their entry. Nick Willis, also originally named, in the 1500m, withdrew of his own accord just over a week ago to allow him time for a full recovery from hip surgery earlier this year.

NEW ZEALAND TEAM TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ATHLETICS
(Berlin,15-23 August)
Men.-
Michael Aish (Overseas based), marathon.
Stuart Farquhar (Hamilton) javelin throw.
Brent Newdick (Auckland), decathlon.
Women.-
Shireen Crumpton (Otago), marathon.
Mary Davies (Overseas based), marathon.
Fiona Docherty (Overseas based), marathon.
Nikki Hamblin (Cambridge), 800m, 1500m.
Andrea Miller (Otago), 100m hurdles.
Kimberley Smith (Overseas based), 5000m, 10,000m.
Valerie Vili (Auckland), shot put.
Monique Williams (Tokoroa), 200m, 400m.