Hamish Kerr of New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand high jumper Hamish Kerr heads to the Athletics World Championships knowing he's a contender, but that he also needs to improve on a couple of things to win a medal.
The Commonwealth Games champion has known for a while that he belongs with the "big boys" of the event, now he wants to show that he can win against them.
"There's definitely parts of my set-up and there are things that I do that are so much better than anyone else in the world, but there are also some things that I'm not as good at as the rest of the world.
"One of those things is my physical ability to jump really high and that is something that I will continue to develop but in terms of my mental game and how I conduct myself in a competition it's world class."
He says his competition in Europe this year, which included a win at a Diamond League meeting, has him brimming with confidence.
However he's still not completely happy.
"The form is probably better than the results show.
"The form and the mental side and just all the technical and physical components all lining up hasn't quite happened yet, but they're all there and they'll be clicking come the world champs.
"Put me in that arena and I'll definitely feel like one of the big boys and I gain a lot of confidence from that and it's also when I jump my highest."
Kerr has learnt a lot from a mixed 2022 season.
He claimed the bronze medal at the World Indoor Champs in Belgrade, but then failed to qualify for the final at the (outdoor) World Championships in Oregon.
New Zealand high jumper Hamish Kerr at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
"Last year I was probably a bit complacent, I started well (in qualifying) and then took my foot off the peddle and failed to clear 2:28 and finished up being the 13th ranked athlete with only the top 12 going through.
"You don't want to go into qualifying thinking it's a final as you're going to use a lot more energy.
"However the priority for me is to put everything into qualifying and then once you make the final anything can happen."
2023 has been better. He broke his own national record with an indoors jump of 2.34m in Slovakia in February.
Since returning to Europe he's consistently jumped 2:24m and went to 2:28m in Germany earlier this month.
"I know I'm good for so much more than that and I'm confident that I'll be able to bring it come world champs."
Kerr said he doesn't have any expectations for the world championships with a half a dozen athletes who could take it out on the day.
"Anything about 2.33 to 2.35 is going to be in the medals, so I'm coming in with a 2.34 from February and while that's a couple of months ago, I feel I'm in better shape now than I was then."
Kerr is one of 19 New Zealand athletes competing at the world championships in Budapest, with high jump qualifying on August 20th.