Athletics NZ low-key on Faumuina no-show

Athletics New Zealand officials maintain they are not too concerned about discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina's recent absence from a meeting in the United States.

Faumuina had been expected to line up in the discus competition at the Prefontaine meet in Oregon on Sunday but was not listed among the seven-strong field headed by American Olympic champion Stephanie Brown-Trafton.

The prestigious Prefontaine competition was being targeted by Faumuina in her attempt to record a qualifying mark of 62 metres for August's world athletics championships in Berlin.

She exceeded the B grade qualifying mark for Berlin when retaining her national title with a throw of 60.03m in Wellington earlier this year – but is considered experienced enough to require an A standard performance.

Convenor of selectors Graham O'Brien said Faumuina was an experienced athlete and well able to manage her competition schedule.

His main concern was with results, and in selecting the strongest possible New Zealand team for the world championships.

High performance director Kevin Ankrom said it was possible an injury could have forced Faumuina to miss the competition.

"Beatrice has gone to the United States and obviously is doing her thing, her preparation and trying to qualify. She may have got hurt for some reason, and possibly that's why she's pulled out," Ankrom said.

In her most recent outing in New York on May 30, the 1997 world champion recorded a best of 56.73m in finishing seventh.

Faumuina, who finished a disappointing 28th at the Beijing Olympics last year, made her world championships debut in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden and has attended every world competition since then with the exception of Edmonton in 2001.

An initial nine-strong New Zealand squad named for the world championships in Berlin, Germany, from August 15-23.

Heading the team are reigning world and Olympics women's shot put champion Valerie Vili and Olympics men's 1500m bronze medallist Nick Willis.

Faumuina and other New Zealand athletes hopeful of qualifying for the world championships have until July 27 to record the necessary times and distances.

- NZPA