Athletics: Impressive win for Hicks in 3000m

The field in the New Zealand 3000m championships at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
The field in the New Zealand 3000m championships at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.
Camille Buscombe wins the women's 3000m championships  from Fiona Crombie. Photos by Craig Baxter.
Camille Buscombe wins the women's 3000m championships from Fiona Crombie. Photos by Craig Baxter.

Malcolm Hicks
Malcolm Hicks
The London Olympics come too soon for Malcolm Hicks (Canterbury) but he is targeting the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Hicks (25), an engineering graduate from Canterbury University, proved that it is a realistic goal by convincingly winning the New Zealand 3000m title at the Caledonian Ground on Saturday.

It was his first national senior title and was the fastest time run in New Zealand since 2009.

Hicks controlled the race and stamped his authority when he sprinted the last lap in 62sec to win in 8min 7.94 sec from Callan Moody (Otago) 8min 15.78sec and Matt Lambert (Nelson) 8min 19.59sec.

It was a personal best time by 4sec and beat the time he ran in Belgium last July.

Hicks, who is coached by Paul Hamblin and is New Zealand's latest sub-4min miler, is targeting the 1500m for Glasgow.

He is built in the classic mould for a middle distance runner and has an efficient style.

But most important of all he is an intelligent athlete and is able to plan his race and think on his feet.

He shared the early pace with his Canterbury University clubmate Brett Tingay with laps of 66, 67, 67 and 66sec. Four laps were completed in 4min 26sec.

With three-and-a half laps left Hicks put his foot down and accelerated the pace with a 64sec lap.

"It was time to put the hammer down," he said. "I'm a miler so I told myself it was less than a mile to go."

Hicks split from the bunch and Tingay was the only runner who went with him.

The sixth lap was run in 63sec and this was too much for Tingay who dropped back.

Lambert gave chase and caught Hicks with 600m left.

"I couldn't hear him breathing," Hicks said. "I just heard the pitter-patter of feet behind me."

The bell was the signal for Hicks to go again and he was by himself down the back straight and won by eight seconds.

Lambert was hit by cramp with 300m left and struggled down the last 200m in a slow 38sec.

Moody (24) came with a rush, passed Lambert in the front straight, to take the silver medal in a personal best time by 12sec.

Hamilton City runner Camille Buscombe, who sat behind two-time champion Fiona Crombie (Canterbury) for the entire race, won her first New Zealand senior women's title in a personal best 9min 29.60sec.

Buscombe (22), who returned from a 2 year athletics scholarship at Purdue University in the United States last June, waited for the sprint down the final straight.

Buscombe won in a time of 9min 29.60sec from Crombie (Canterbury) 9min 31.29sec and Kellie Palmer (Canterbury) 9min 40.91sec.

 

 

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