Southland record of 26 years exceeded

It took 26 years for Paddy O'Brien's Southland high jump record to be beaten when Gideon Barnard eclipsed his mark on Friday night in Wellington.

However, Barnard wasn't content on waiting another 26 years to see that mark of 2.05m bettered.

Just a matter of four days after he created history by beating the longstanding record, set by the well-know international rugby referee, Barnard banked a record, this time at 2.06m.

Following this accomplishment at the Capital Classic on Friday night the South African born and raised Barnard joined the Southland athletics team in heading off to Tuesday night's Wanganui Classic.

That's where he went about etching his name into the Southland athletics record books for the second time.

Southland athletics coach Lance Smith confidently believes it won't be too long before the Queenstown-based jumper increases his current record of 2.06m.

"He all but managed to jump 2.10. The crowd thought he was going to do it.

"A few of the other coaches I talked to up there thought it wouldn't be too long before he does 2.10," Smith said.

His jump of 2.06m in Whanganui also gained him the gold medal and confirmed his status as New Zealand's top-ranked high jumper.

In the women's high jump at the Wanganui Classic Southlanders Charlotte Muschamp and Savanagh Bruin both jumped 1.66m.

On countback Muschamp finished third and Bruin fifth.

Muschamp finished second in the triple jump with 11.48m while fellow Southlander Greer Alsop jumped 11.14m to claim third place.

Glen Ballam finished 10th in what was a highly-rated field for the Wanganui Classic mile (1609m).

It come just four days after he produced a pleasing third place finish in his preferred 800m at the Capital Classic.

The Wanganui Classic was run in conjunction with the Athletics New Zealand Young Olympian camp. It gave the country's rising athletics stars a chance to fine tune their skills with the leading New Zealand coaches.

Southland coaches Smith and Colin Russell both helped at the camp.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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