Latest news with #HamishKerr
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
How high can Hamish Kerr go?
New Zealand high jumper Hamish Kerr. Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Hamish Kerr is aiming high, literally. That may sound obvious for a high jumper, but the Olympic champion said height rather than titles is what he's focusing on. The World Athletics Championships are the pinnacle event of 2025 and will present the 28-year-old Cantabrian the opportunity to complete the 'triple crown'. While that would be nice, Kerr said it wasn't a priority. "Obviously I want to win every time I go out there and world championships is something that I haven't done," Kerr told RNZ. "What gets me out of the bed in the morning is the prospect of jumping high." Kerr has a personal best of 2.36 metres, having achieved that twice last year. He completed that height to win the World Indoor title in Glasgow and repeated it to get into the jump-off for the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. However, 2025 is about cementing what he learnt from last year and continuing to develop. "This year is about what makes me tick on tour and feeling connected to the places I'm going to. "Knowing that in the next few years 2.40m is definitely the main goal." That may be some way off for Kerr who has a best height this year of just 2.30m. "I'd be happy with 2.36m this year and 2.4m is a goal for 2026-27." Cuban Javier Sotomayor set the world record of 2.45 in 1993. Hamish Kerr during the International Athletics Meet in Christchurch, 2025. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2025 For now Kerr is in Monaco preparing for the next Diamond League meeting. He will stay in Europe before heading to the world champs in Tokyo in September. With an increase in funding since his Olympic success Kerr is now able to take members of his support team overseas with him. Coach James Sandilands often travels with him but now he'll have his strength and conditioning coach and physiotherapist with him for periods of his European campaign. "They are the people who ultimately at the end of the day are the ones who are the difference between me doing well and not. "To be able to have those guys on the ground is super beneficial especially with the data they can gather while I'm in that full competition mode." Kerr admits that 2024 was such a big year for him that it has taken a while to get back to where he wants to be. "I'm pretty confident that we're starting to find some nice form again and we're really trying to peak in September (world champs)." Kerr tops the Diamond League standings after a win in Morocco in May . Following the Monaco meeting this week he'll spend a month training in the south of France before another three Diamond League meets and then the world champs.
RNZ News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Future Olympians likely among NZ's World University Games team
Some of Team New Zealand athletes for the FISU World University Games in Germany in July 2025 Photo: Supplied / Colin McDiarmid A team of 84 student athletes are going to represent New Zealand at the World University Games in Germany later this month. Organised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), it is one of the world's largest multi-sport events. Around 8500 student athletes and officials representing 150 countries are expected for the games, competing in 18 different sports, including archery, athletics, 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, fencing, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, taekwondo, rowing and water polo. Head of the New Zealand delegation Evelyn Williamson said household names such as Anthony Mosse, Hamish Kerr, Eliza McCartney, Zoe Hobbs and Lauren Boyle had used the event as a stepping stone to bigger things. "The games are a unique opportunity for athletes to perform at an elite level and gain experience in a high-performance environment. It's where future Olympians are forged." Williamson said New Zealand had been involved in the biannual event since 1983 and had won 30 medals - nine gold, 12 silver and nine bronze. "It's not an easy competition to be part of and be successful at," she said. "The competition is very strong - world champions are there, Olympic champions... "Just because they're university age, it doesn't mean that they're not highly competitive. It has been something that University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand over the years has been involved with. But this is the biggest team I think we've seen in recent memory." The games will be held at the Rhine-Ruhr cities of Bochum, Duisburg and Essen from 16-27 July. Williamson said it was a unique opportunity in multi-sport games that did not come around very often. "There are some challenges for us because it's a multi-city format and we spread across 11 hotels in three cities. It's gonna be pretty unique in that way. It is going to be an awesome opportunity for our athletes." Williamson also encouraged New Zealanders to follow the games and athletes on social media. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic Elevated To Full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Event
Press Release – Athletics New Zealand The PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, a longstanding highlight of the summer season in Whanganui, has officially been upgraded to a full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze-level meet, completing the Summer Circuit alongside four other major events: Allan & Sylvia Potts Classic / NZ Short Track Championships – Hastings PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic – Whanganui Sir Graeme Douglas International – Auckland International Track Meet – Christchurch New Zealand Track & Field Championships – Auckland The Bronze designation acknowledges the continued commitment of the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic team to creating a premier event for the region and country. An event that continues to attract top international talent, provides an athlete-first meet experience and an engaging track and field spectacle for fans in person and via livestream. The home of the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, the Whanganui Cooks Gardens, known as the home of the mile, was awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in 2023 in the 'Landmark' category. 'We are thrilled that our iconic venue, Cooks Gardens is to host a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event not just for 2026 but also for 2027 and 2028. We are grateful for the Whanganui District Council who in 2024 had the track resurfaced and recertified by World Athletics to enable us to continue to host these types of events in Whanganui,' said meet director, Russell Sears. 'An annual event that will bring over 50 overseas athletes to compete at Cooks to add to the heritage the Gardens holds in World Athletics. The mile will continue to be our signature events for the Classic. By moving to a complete Bronze meeting, we will be able to showcase another 12 events, offering opportunities for more New Zealand athletes to compete against world class athletes.' As a full World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze Event, the PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic brings the opportunity for athletes to earn valuable world-ranking points at the Bronze level (C) and compete against leading international athletes right here in New Zealand. Along with the bronze status comes higher prize money for athletes, more internationals travelling to the region, and a bigger spotlight on the event. The 2025 edition of the event drew the biggest crowd in over a decade, as the sport of track and field continues its rise in New Zealand. A big drawcard to the event was Olympic champion, Hamish Kerr, competing on home soil for the first time since winning his historic Olympic gold. The PAK'nSAVE Cooks International Classic, together with the full Summer Circuit, forms the pinnacle of domestic competition in New Zealand. Dates for each event, event grid, entry information, and ticketing details will be released as available. A bidding process was held by Athletics New Zealand to allocate the third Bronze meet. Applications were reviewed by a panel of five including Athletics NZ CE, Cam Mitchell, Head of Track and Field Events, Keegan McCauley, a representative from the Athletes Commission, a representative from Oceania Athletics and a representative from the Athletics New Zealand board.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sportsworld The Warm Up Track 2025: Hamish Kerr – How to win a jump-off for Olympic gold
New Zealand's Hamish Kerr had a golden 2024. He was one of a handful of athletes who won the World Indoors in March, and then followed it up with an Olympic title at the Games in Paris. But Hamish almost missed that final. He was facing elimination in the qualifying round at the Stade de France. After two failures at 2.20 metres, he tells us he thought about retiring if he failed again and crashed out of the Olympics. Hamish explains how, after going to that 'dark place', he knew he had the mental strength to win gold in the final. At the previous Olympics in Tokyo, Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi had elected to share the High Jump gold medal and not to enter a jump-off to determine the winner. Hamish describes how early on in his final he began to wonder whether he'd have to make the same decision. As it turned out, he and Shelby McEwen did finish the competition with identical records and couldn't be separated. So why did they choose to jump-off for gold? It's the High Jump's equivalent of a penalty shoot-out in football, and both men had already been out there competing for several hours. Why did Hamish believe he'd cope with that situation better? We find out why food was on his mind as he stood waiting to take the jump that could win him the Olympic title. Hamish also describes the moment during that attempt when he knew he would clear the bar and claim the gold. As for the celebrations afterwards, when he ran into the middle of the infield to bow to the capacity crowd, how much thought had gone into that? After all, the women's Javelin final had been taking place, making that potentially a pretty dangerous place to be! Hamish also talks about his rise through the sport; from winning Commonwealth gold, to the World Indoor title and then the Olympic Games. He takes us inside his mindset, and explains how and why 'old Hamish' needed to change in order to be challenging for those medals. Photo: Hamish Kerr of Team New Zealand celebrates winning the men's high jump at the Stade de France during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Credit: Sportsfile via Getty Images)
RNZ News
06-06-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Victory in Rome for New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh
Photo: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh's stellar 2025 season has continued with victory at the Diamond League meeting in Rome. Walsh, who qualified third for the final, was on song right away, nailing 21.89 with the first of his six attempts, a season's best distance by 18 centimetres. It ultimately proved to be too good for the rest of the field, with Italian Zane Weir coming second with 21.67, three centimetres ahead of Rajindra Campbell of Jamaica, who was third. The win in Rome is Walsh's fifth career victory at a Diamond League event, following successes in Brussels in 2015 and 2019, and Zurich in 2016 and 2018. The win also follows Walsh claiming his third World Indoor Title in February, in China. Two other New Zealanders were in action in Rome. Olympic high jump champion Hamish Kerr was unable to produce his best, finishing just sixth with a height of 2.20. Despite qualifying in first place for the final, he wasn't able to produce his best, failing at all three attempts at 2.23, well below his season's best of 2.32 and his personal best of 2.36. Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, who finished seventh at last year's Paris Olympics and is a two-time World Indoor Champion, won the high jump, with a leap of 2.32. And 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Imogen Ayris was off the pace in the womens pole vault. She finished eighth recording 4.50, 30cm behind winner American Sandi Morris. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
