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Kiwi stars head across the Tasman
Australian athletics fans will welcome two world-class New Zealanders with glowing credentials this summer, world and Olympic shot put champion Valerie Vili and Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Nick Willis.
The pair are the latest names to join a stellar cast of internationals set to compete in Australia over the next two weeks. Vili will compete in the shot put at the Sydney Track Classic on Saturday, 28 February and at the World Athletics Tour Melbourne on Thursday, 5 March. Willis will compete in the 1500m in Melbourne.
In fact, seven Olympic champions will be competing in Sydney and Melbourne, including former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, who will join Australia’s own Olympic medallists Steve Hooker, Sally McLellan and Jared Tallent.
On the international stage, Nick Willis is maintaining the rich tradition of New Zealand’s 1500m running folklore, following in the footsteps of Jack Lovelock, John Walker and Peter Snell - three Olympic gold medallists who have all been world record-holders.
At the Beijing Olympics, the New Zealander showed that he could mix it with the world’s best – the Africans. His bronze medal caused great delight across the Tasman, for he had broken the drought. Not since 1984 had a New Zealand athlete made a men's 1500m final and not since John Walker's gold in 1976 had New Zealand secured a medal.
When he steps out on the track in Melbourne in two weeks time, fond memories will return, for it was the place where he was crowned Commonwealth champion, becoming the first man from New Zealand to win gold in that event at the Games.
Willis has already tasted success in 2009, posting three wins from four outings on the US indoor circuit. His only loss came at the hands of reigning world champion Bernard Lagat who pipped him at the Millrose Games over an enthralling one mile battle.
A regular on the Australian circuit, Valerie Vili, will once again compete in Sydney and Melbourne, but this time with a new title – Olympic champion.
Following her world championships success in 2007, the 24-year-old went from strength to strength in 2008. First up collecting the world indoor title, and then Olympic gold with a new national and Oceania record heave of 20.56m. It was New Zealand’s first Olympic gold medal in athletics since John Walker won the 1,500m in 1976.
Olympic success has meant early selection for Vili and Willis for the athletics world championships in Berlin in August.
Both the Sydney Track Classic and World Athletics Tour Melbourne will be broadcast around Australia on Network Ten. Any Australian athlete who breaks an Australian record will receive a $10,000 bonus as part of the $310,000 prize money on offer this summer.
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