Athletics: Hurdler going for national gold

Felix McDonald (16) will represent Otago and Taieri at the national secondary schools athletic...
Felix McDonald (16) will represent Otago and Taieri at the national secondary schools athletic championships in Wanganui next month. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Felix McDonald is focused on winning an elusive gold medal at the national secondary schools athletic championships in Wanganui next month.

Felix (16, Taieri) will compete in the 110m and 300m hurdles, as well as the 4x100m and 4x400m relays.

With less than three weeks before the competition begins, McDonald said he was feeling ''relatively confident''.

His national rankings in the 110m and 300m hurdles give him reason to be. New to the 300m distance, he clocked 39.83sec in just his second run recently to be ranked first in the country in his age group.

His 300m time was only 0.15sec off Leslie Taylor's 2008 Otago record (39.68).

Felix, who lives in Mosgiel and attends King's High School, is ranked second nationally in the 110m hurdles with a 14.99sec wind-assisted PB.

The Taieri athlete competed in the national championships the past two years, winning a silver and bronze in the long jump and 400m respectively last year.

He also finished fourth in the 110m hurdles. In 2012, he finished 13th in the 400m and ninth in the long jump.

This time around, Felix, who is coached by Joan Merrilees and her daughter, Megan, is dropping the 400m and long jump to focus on hurdling.

As well as showing good form in the hurdles at the weekly meets at the Caledonian Ground, Felix ran a sharp 100m at the weekend - a good sign for his 4x100m relay team.

In a field of seven, which was separated by just 0.64sec, Felix finished fourth in 11.73sec, just 0.38sec behind the winner, Rory O'Neill (17). The top-ranked 300m hurdler took up athletics five years ago and only ''seriously'' started training a few years ago.

He trains five times a week, including gym sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, before competing on Saturdays at the Caledonian Ground.

The national championships are being held on December 6-7.

- Robert van Royen

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