Champion throwers headline the 18-strong New Zealand athletics team selected for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The team boasts eight throwers spearheaded by the two defending New Zealand champions from the Gold Coast 2018 Games - shot putter Tom Walsh and hammer thrower Julia Ratcliffe.
The two vastly experienced performers will both be making their third Commonwealth Games appearance, and the throwing duo will look to extend their medal streak having both banked silver in their respective events at the Glasgow 2014 Games before climbing the top of the podium in Gold Coast.
Bolstering New Zealand's powerful throwing stocks in Birmingham, will be shot putter Jacko Gill, who is set for his second Commonwealth Games appearance eight years after making his debut in Glasgow.
For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, New Zealand will have three women's throwers in the same event at the same Games.
Joining Ratcliffe in the women's hammer are Oceania record-holder and Tokyo Olympian Lauren Bruce, as well as Aucklander Nicole Bradley, who makes her Commonwealth Games debut after cracking the 70 metre barrier for the first time during the 2021-22 season.
Maddi Wesche, the Tokyo Olympic sixth-place finisher, is selected in the women's shot hoping to follow in the rich tradition of past New Zealand winners of the title - Val Young and Dame Valerie Adams.
Completing the selected throwers for Birmingham are 2018 Youth Olympic champion Connor Bell, who competes in the men's discus, and javelin thrower Tori Peeters, who set a New Zealand national record mark of 62.40m in Hastings in March.
Also featuring in Birmingham will be World Indoor high jump bronze medallist Hamish Kerr, who will once again be looking to make an impact at a major international event.
New Zealand will also be sending two women's pole vaulters led by World Indoor sixth-place finisher Olivia McTaggart, who will be making her second Commonwealth Games appearance and her Auckland-based training partner Imogen Ayris.
Sprinter Zoe Hobbs has been in top form this season. Photo: Photosport
On the track, sprinter Zoe Hobbs will make her Commonwealth Games debut after enjoying a stellar season when she three times bettered the New Zealand women's 100m record.
Hobbs' training partner, New Zealand women's 400m hurdles record-holder Portia Bing, has also booked her ticket for Birmingham eight years after making her Commonwealth Games debut as part of the women's 4x400m relay team.
Race walker Quentin Rew is back for a second Commonwealth Games. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand Indoor 5000m record-holder Geordie Beamish has been rewarded by winning selection in the 12-and-a-half lap event, and Quentin Rew will feature in the men's 10,000m track race walk in what will be his second Commonwealth Games.
Three athletes have been conditionally selected subject to meeting their conditions before the deadline on 26 June.
These include Keeley O'Hagan, who set a personal best of 1.88m when winning the New Zealand women's high jump title in March, Tokyo Olympic 1500m runner Sam Tanner and 5000m exponent Eric Speakman.
"I never thought as a kid that I would go to three Commonwealth Games, so it blows my mind a little to think how long I've been throwing and how far I've come," Ratcliffe said.
Four years ago Kerr missed out on Games selection and he was looking forward to putting on the Black Singlet once again.
"I used that disappointment as motivation to prioritise my jumping, so to be named in the team this time around is hugely gratifying. The standard of high jump in the Commonwealth is incredibly high right now, so I look forward to the challenge in August," Kerr said.
Athletics NZ High Performance Director and Commonwealth Games team leader Scott Newman said the high bar set for selection and coming directly from a World Championships, had set this team up for an anticipated strong performance overall.
The naming takes the total number of athletes currently selected to the New Zealand team for Birmingham 2022 to 57.
Athletes selected to New Zealand athletics team for Birmingham Commonwealth Games
- Lauren Bruce - hammer throw
- Julia Ratcliffe - hammer throw
- Nicole Bradley - hammer throw
- Olivia McTaggart - pole vault
- Imogen Ayris - pole vault
- Maddison Wesche - shot put
- Jacko Gill - shot put
- Tom Walsh - shot put
- Tori Peeters - javelin
- Zoe Hobbs - 100m
- Portia Bing - 400m Hurdles
- Hamish Kerr - high jump
- Connor Bell - discus
- Quentin Rew -10,000m Race Walk
- George Beamish - 5000m
- Keeley O'Hagan - high jump *Conditionally Selected
- Sam Tanner - 1500m *Conditionally Selected
- Eric Speakman - 5000m *Conditionally Selected