WORLD ATHLETICS HAS NZ STRUGGLING

Michael from Trentham

NZ sent its biggest and strongest team to a world track & field champs a couple of weeks ago in Bucharest. It was the 19th such event.

But NZ's 20 athletes failed to win a medal of any description during the nine-day event which was probably the most outstanding world or Olympics athletics ever staged.

The venue itself and the connecting facilities were outstanding and every day the 35,000 spectator stadium was either filled or near-filled.

A new Ussain Bolt emerged in the form of an American sprinter named Noah Lyles and he provided the spark that an event of this type needs as its brightest ultimate star.

NZ athletes were very largely disappointing. We had performer after performer failing to provide a personal best effort or even a matching personal best performance in order to secure a better placing and in several cases, gaining at least a silver or bronze medal.

These can be reeled off but include shot putter Walsh, high jumper Kerr, Javelin thrower Peeters and sprinter Hobbs.

Only women shot putter Wesche and steeplechaser Beamish produced PBs.

So let's hope for better things in less than 12 months time when the Olympic Games are held in Paris. Track & field is the supreme event of the Olympics.