Athletics: Balchin aiming for team success

It will be a big ask but Otago 10km road champion Daniel Balchin would love to make it a double at the national road championships in Wellington today.

Last month, Balchin was a member of the first Otago senior men's cross-country team in 53 years to strike gold in national competition. And after winning the Otago road title two weeks ago, he made no secret of a desire to repeat the effort and strike team gold in the national road championship.

Balchin (20), a trainee engineer, has been in tremendous form all winter, having gained fastest time honours in Lovelock Relay, Ponydale cross-country relay and Barnes cross-country events before registering a convincing victory in the Edmond Cup steeplechase in late June.

He found the 12km Otago and national cross-country events a little more demanding, but bounced back with a vengeance to win the Otago 10km road championship in 31min 4sec, 6sec ahead of Callan Moody.

The Otago team will be without two key members today, with Dougal Thorburn and Bevan Stevens both unavailable.

Balchin, though, is a worthy leader and will rate his chances on the Jervois Quay course, given his victory in the Otago championships was achieved into the wind.

Despite the loss of Thorburn and Stevens, the team, with Moody, Tony Payne, Peter Meffan, David Catherwood and Lyndon Brown, remains a competitive force.

"The opportunity's there for them to step up," Balchin said.

Balchin's main rival for individual honours will be Auckland champion Stephen Lett. Jono Jackson (Auckland), Tim Hodge, Stefan Smith (Wellington) and the Canterbury pair of Matt Harris and Alex Fowler are also threats.

Otago has a good opportunity to medal in senior women's competition through Rozie Robinson in the 10km race walk.

A field of 38 awaits the John Henderson-coached Robinson, who has yet to compete in such a large field in New Zealand competition. Her previous two large-scale events have been in Oceania competition last year, where she finished second in the 10km race walk, in Cairns, and third in under-23 competition in the Oceania Trophy, in Hobart.

She singles out triple world masters gold medallist Nyle Sunderland (Nelson) as one of her main rivals.

"I'm quite excited to be racing in such a large field," she said.

"Hopefully, it will give me an opportunity to get a good time."

Robinson's personal best for the 10km distance, a respectable 1hr 51min, should prove handy on the Wellington course today.

Otago athletes should feature in masters grades as well, Ray Knox is a top prospect in the men's 50 section, along with Maria Sleeman and Julie Wilson in the masters women's section.