Nick Willis, of New Zealand, celebrates third place in the
Olympic men's 1500m final at the Bird's Nest stadium in
Beijing last month. Photo from Getty Images.
Olympic bronze medallist Nick Willis will help launch the
summer of Otago athletics next month.
Willis will be the special guest at the opening day of the
Athletics Otago season at the Caledonian on Saturday, October
11.
The exciting middle-distance runner is touring New Zealand
just weeks after his stunning effort in Beijing, where he won
New Zealand's first 1500m Olympic medal in 32 years with a
3min 34.16sec run for bronze.
Willis would start races, hand out posters promoting running
and generally mingle with Otago athletes, spokesman Mike
Weddell said yesterday.
"Nick's going all over the country, but the 11th ties in so
well for us because it's the opening day," Weddell said.
Willis, who won gold in the 1500m at the Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne two years ago, has breathed life back into New
Zealand's great middle-distance tradition.
His form is still hot, with his latest effort victory in the
Fifth Avenue Mile in New York, beating two-time world
champion Bernard Lagat.
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