Hammer time for Kiwi trio

Late bloomer Nicole Bradley is vowing to treasure every minute of her chance to be part of history at the athletics world championships in Oregon which start on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Auckland radiographer is part of a full complement of three Kiwi athletes lining up in the women’s hammer throw at both the world championships (qualifying is on Saturday morning, NZT) and the Commonwealth Games that follow soon after in Birmingham.

It’s the first time New Zealand has had three athletes in one field event discipline in world championships history, with Commonwealth Games champion and Tokyo Olympics finalist Julia Ratcliffe and rising young prospect Lauren Bruce joining Bradley on the start-line in both Eugene and Birmingham. Only in the marathon and race walks have the maximum quotas been achieved previously at the global level.

Bradley is somewhat of a study in perseverance as she gets her first ‘‘black singlet’’ global assignment at the ripe old age of 30. By her own admission, she’s the ‘‘old lady’’ of the throws contingent, but brings a freshness generated by an opportunity she very much considers bonus territory.

‘‘Who would have thought it for women’s hammer throw,’’ she reflected after her selection. ‘‘I love what I do, I love throwing hammer, It just went far and now I’m one of the three.’’

Bradley, who is coached by Mike Schofield in Auckland, started throwing the hammer as a 13-year-old in Dunedin, and has plugged away at it until she finally broke the 70-metre threshold in 2021. Her personal best of 70.45m was set at this year’s national championships in Hastings when she finished runner-up to Bruce (73.34m).

‘‘As soon as one person throws 70m, you’re like maybe I can too,’’ she says of the competitive