Rebekah Greene
Otago's top female middle-distance runner, Rebekah
Greene, hopes to be fit for the Brian Taylor Memorial 3000m in
Christchurch on Saturday.
Greene (19) has been sidelined by an injury to her lower left
leg and only competed in one event during this month's
national series.
She won the mile at the Lovelock Classic in Timaru in 4min
48sec this month and has nursed her injury since that time.
The medical staff have not been able to pinpoint the injury
but she is getting regular treatment at the Dunedin High
Performance Centre from physiotherapist Helen Littleworth.
Greene is not able to run at present but she is keeping up
her aerobic fitness on an exercycle and by aqua-jogging.
The 3000m honours the memory of former Otago athlete and
coach Brian Taylor, who was killed in the February
Christchurch earthquake.
He grew up in Dunedin and was the Otago record-holder for the
mile and six-mile before leaving the city to teach in
Christchurch. His wife, Prue, principal of Christchurch
Girls' High School, represented New Zealand in masters
athletics.
Greene has a best time of 9min 21sec and will be tested by
New Zealand Olympian Lucy van Dalen and Susan Kuijken, of the
Netherlands. They both compete in the United States college
system.
Van Dalen has a best time of 8min 56.70sec and Kuijken 8min
56.27sec.
New Zealand cross-country representative Rachel Kingsford
(Otago), Canterbury's Rosa Flanagan and Nicki McFadzien, and
Wellington's Tina Harris are also competing.
The feature men's event on the grass track at Christ's
College is the mile. Beijing Olympics 1500m silver medallist
Nick Willis will be attempting to run under 4min.
Peter Snell ran a sub-4min mile on grass at Wanganui in 1962
when he broke Australian Herb Elliott's world record in 3min
54.4sec. Bruce Tulloch (Great Britain) also broke the 4min
barrier that day when he was runner-up in 3min 59.3sec.
Willis has already broken the 4min barrier in New Zealand
this season, running 3min 58.09sec on the all-weather track
in Whanganui.
Willis will be challenged by Petr Kaminski (Czech Republic),
Luke Mathews (Australia) and Aaron Pulford (Waikato).
New Zealand senior men's champion Tom Walsh (Canterbury) will
be pitted against Australian junior record-holder Damien
Birkenhead in the shot put.
The Australian will also challenge New Zealand senior
champion Marshall Hall (Otago) in the discus.
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