Big Ben spears in to world champs
Ben Langton Burnell had been anticipating an anxious weekend as the world athletics championships fields came down to the cutoff point.
But now the Waikato-based Manawatu javelin thrower can relax and pack his bags for London, with Athletics New Zealand yesterday confirming him as the ninth Kiwi named in their team for the global event that starts on August 4 at the Olympic stadium.
The 24-year-old Cambridge accountant, who lives and trains in Hamilton under coach Debbie Strange, knew he had a good shot at London after his June throw of 82.44 metres at his home Porritt Stadium catapulted him into contention.
At the time it put him 24th on the IAAF qualification list, with invites going to the top 32. But with his PB throw still 56cm short of the IAAF and New Zealand B standard for the event there were still a few hoops to jump through.
He achieved one of those when he won the Oceania title in Fiji three weeks ago, and the final one occurred when the IAAF and national selectors handed him the tick of approval. ‘‘I’m absolutely stoked,’’ he said of his first major international assignment.
‘‘To make a black singlet team, it’s a dream come true. Years and years and years of having that dream and now I’m finally heading to the world champs.
‘‘I was pretty nervous about it. The cutoff date is Sunday, and a lot of European guys will be trying to get that mark, so to get selected through getting the Oceania title was absolutely brilliant.’’
Now, for a young man who has improved his PB by five metres in 2017, he is very much into bonus territory. ‘‘The body is feeling awesome, and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been. I know if I throw a PB I’ll have a bloody good chance of getting through to the final, so that’s the aim.
‘‘I’ll go out there and see my idols but I’m only there to better myself. If you make this team, you deserve to be there, and then it’s all just about putting down the best performance on the day.’’
Langton Burnell’s move to Waikato has had its benefits, principally being his proximity to long-time Kiwi standard-bearer with the javelin, Stuart Farquhar (now retired from international competition).
Langton Burnell joins 10,000m runners Camille Buscomb and Zane Robertson, shot putters Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill, pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, sprinter Joseph Millar, 800m runner Angie Petty and race walker Quentin Rew in the team for London.