International flavour to masters games

Two international athletes will be among the 120 competitors who will take part in the North Island Masters Track and Field Championships at Massey University this weekend.

Ukrainian Yevgeniy Tkachenko will race the sprints and do the long and triple jumps.

Tkachenko competes regularly in masters events all over the world and it is his fourth visit to New Zealand, having previously attended games in Wanganui and Dunedin.

He has also competed throughout Europe as part of Team Ukraine and in Canada where he attended the World Masters at Edmonton.

Indian hammer thrower Hardeep Kaur, who is studying in Palmerston North at the International Pacific College, will do the shot put and discus.

The event is open to athletes aged over 30. Former All Black winger Bruce McPhail (Canterbury) is competing alongside masters age-group world recordholders including Gisborne's Ron Robertson (steeplechase) and sprinter Margaret Peters (Auckland).

About 17 Manawatu-Wanganui athletes will be taking part, including Manawatu's Vanessa Story, who recently won a bronze medal at the World Masters Games in Australia in the 100m.

Manawatu middle-distance runners Robert Dabb and Andrew Davenport will also be competing.

Two new athletes are competing for the first time – Gabrielle Bahler in the 300m, 5000m and long jump, while Mike Reilly steps out in the 60m, 100m, 200m, 110m hurdles and javelin.

Existing club members include Palmerston North's Gavin Jensen in the M40 in the sprints, Jill Evans W60 in the throwing, Kevin Fee in the 800m, 1500m and hammer, and former Wanganui rugby prop Bo Cox in the M60 throwing events.

There's also Wanganui's Frances Bayler in W65 sprints, long jump and triple jump, Laurie Malcolmson (now living in Dannevirke) in sprints, hurdles, javelin and pentathlon, Ross McBeth (Wanganui) in sprints, long jump and triple jump, Michael Roche (Palmerston North) in javelin, Paul Sharland (Palmerston North) in sprints and Mike Shepherd (Ashhurst) in jumps and throwing events.Twenty-five athletes will compete in events on Saturday in preparation for the national Special Olympics, which are being held in Palmerston North next week.

- © Fairfax NZ News