Petty for worlds

Canterbury two-lap specialist Angie Petty’s stunning return to form has seen her become the latest addition to the New Zealand team for the world athletics championships in London in August.

The 25-year-old ran just under the A standard for 800m selection last Thursday in Eagle Rock, California, when she finished third in a high quality field and has been rewarded with a spot in the growing Kiwi squad for London.

Her time of 2min 00.44s was 0.06s under the selection standard. Just for good measure it also bettered the nomination threshold for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

It was the Rangiora teacher trainee’s fastest time since the 2015 Beijing world championships (1:59.53) where she placed fourth in her semifinal, and just missed making the final.

‘‘Words can’t describe how happy I am to have run this time,’’ Petty said after her recent race.

‘‘I’m really excited for the journey ahead and will continue to work hard to run lots faster,’’ she added. London will be Petty’s third world championships, having first competed at the 2013 Moscow championships and then Beijing in 2015.

She also contested the 800m at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games (finishing fifth) and at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where she failed to progress past the heats.

Petty’s finest result was a fastfinishing victory at the 2015 World University Games where she ran her personal best of 1:59:03, breaking through the two-minute barrier for the first time.

She will continue training under coach Danny Mackey in Seattle, fitting in more racing before heading to Europe in June for her final preparations for the world championships in the London Olympic Stadium in early August.

Petty is the eighth New Zealand athlete named for London, joining 10,000m runners Camille Buscomb and Zane Robertson, shot putters Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill, pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, sprinter Joseph Millar and race walker Quentin Rew.

Further selections are expected to be announced with the qualification deadline set for July 23.