Sprint star Hobbs equals NZ record
Zoe Hobbs has achieved a feat no other female Kiwi sprinter has accomplished in nearly three decades, but she admits her recordequalling effort in the 100m at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships was “bittersweet”.
Hobbs yesterday matched the record time of 11.32 seconds set by Michelle Seymour in 1993.
However, time is running out for the 23-year-old Aucklander to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July.
A complicated process awaits, as Hobbs must either qualify off the ranking system of which she has to be in the top 32 by Sunday, or run under the 11.15s qualifying mark in competition by late June to meet the autostandard. She is ranked 49th in the world. “It’s kind of bittersweet because it’s an equal record. I’ve been chasing it all year, so to finally do it on the last competition, I’m stoked,” Hobbs told the Herald.
“I don’t really know where I’m at, at the moment. It’s hard because to try to run a time here in winter isn’t really in question because when sprinting you want hot conditions.”
“If I go, I’d have to go to Aussie and that’s a question of getting an MIQ spot and it makes it tricky to know what’s going to happen from here with Covid restraints and what not.
“I need to have that conversation with my coach to see if we do target some competitions to run the auto.”
Hobbs’ coach James Mortimer said the pair remain focused on getting her to Tokyo.
“In the right conditions and competition, running 11.15 is not out of her reach,” Mortimer said.