Hobbs eyes spot among sprinting greats
Kiwi sprint sensation Zoe Hobbs has been in the zone through most of a breakthrough 2022 athletics season, and will need to retain that steely focus in Eugene, Oregon, when she battles the world’s best without the comforting presence of her coach.
Hobbs will line up in the 100 metres heats on day two of the world championships tomorrow at Hayward Field with coach James Mortimer marooned back in New Zealand because of an untimely Covid outbreak in the family.
Mortimer, who also has Georgie Hulls (200m) and Portia Bing (400m hurdles) competing in Eugene from his crack Auckland sprint squad, had intended to join his trio in Oregon before the virus intervened. But he told Stuff, from isolation at home, he had every confidence Hobbs would take his absence in her stride as she bids to prove her worth among an historically elite crop of sprinters on the global stage.
‘‘I haven’t been away on one of these trips since 2017, so when it comes to competition these girls are all pretty sorted,’’ said the coach who plans to head straight to the UK to join the squad for their pre-Commonwealth Games camp which follows hot on the heels of Oregon.
‘‘It’s really the lead-in training they like the coach to be there for, to pump up their tyres and correct a few minor things. But they’re all pretty experienced now. Zoe definitely rises to the occasion – all three of them do. They can deal with race nerves.’’
Hobbs’ preparation for Eugene had gone well, said Mortimer, with the 24-year-old highlighting her buildup with a sixth-place finish in last month’s Paris Diamond League 100m, won by Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in a world-leading 10.67 seconds. Hobbs’ time of 11.10sec was just .01sec off her PB and national record set at the Oceania champs earlier in June.
‘‘She’s in some of the best shape she’s ever been in,’’ said Mortimer. ‘‘The race in Paris put her in good stead in terms of not racing these top girls for a first time straight off the bat. She got herself in the mix and has the experience now where she’s not scared to line up against the likes of Fraser-Pryce and is thinking, ‘this is where I should be’.
‘‘These top women now, they’re some of the best there’s ever been. Zoe has come along at a peak for women’s 100m, and she feels like she belongs now. It’s not just, ‘hey I got a invite and I’m lucky to be here’ . . . she’s proved she can mix it.’’
And in terms of her prospects of running fast in Eugene, Mortimer is quietly optimistic of a performance that could see his athlete make the leap into the top strata of her sport.
‘‘Her times have been pretty good and
the body is good. I’m confident she’ll do a good time. It’s a tough competition – she could run a big PB and get through, and she could even squeeze a final if all the stars are aligned.’’
Hobbs would likely have to dip under 11 seconds to make a final in Oregon against the red-hot Jamaican trio of Elaine Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce, and Shericka Jackson (1-2-3 in Tokyo), as well as the top Americans. But that’s not an achievement either athlete or coach believe is beyond the Kiwi.
‘‘We’re both pretty confident she can reach the semis if she executes everything she can in the heat,’’ said Mortimer.
‘‘That’s the benchmark every 100m runner looks to, and it would be incredible to run sub-11,’’ Hobbs said. ‘‘Hopefully I’ll get there one day – maybe this year, maybe not. Each year I’ve progressively got better, and I don’t think it’s unrealistic based on my progression so far.’’
‘‘We’re aiming for the Olympic final in Paris,’’ said Mortimer. ‘‘Each year we’re taking a step closer towards that. I never put caps on what times she can do, and the way track technology is going, and events she can get into, it’s exciting. I think she can mix it with those top girls in the world.
‘‘This year she’s had a great drop, going from 11.32, to 11.07 windy. Now the goal is let’s get under 11sec. She can absolutely get there . . . there are so many things we haven’t tapped into yet.’’