Athletics: Miller sets target for champs

Hurdler Andrea Miller's target is to break the 13-second barrier when she competes at the world athletics championships in Berlin next month.

Miller (27) achieved a milestone when she won a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, last weekend.

She finished third in the final in a time of 13.13sec behind Nevin Yanit (Turkey, 12.89sec) and Sonata Tamosaityte (Lithuania, 13.10sec).

Miller had a good series in Belgrade. She finished second in her heat in 13.64sec, and second in her semifinal in 13.23sec.

It was the first time an Otago athlete had won a medal at the World University Games since New Zealand first sent a team in the 1960s.

It was the second time Miller had contested the World University Games. She was seventh in Thailand in the 100m hurdles two years ago when she set a New Zealand record of 13.20sec.

The athletics section of the World University Games is rated as being of a higher standard than the Commonwealth Games, which gives an indication of the quality of Miller's performance in Belgrade.

She will be joined by fellow Otago athlete Shireen Crumpton at the world championships in Berlin from August 15-23. Crumpton will contest the marathon.

Miller was added to the New Zealand team after breaking her own New Zealand 100m hurdles record in Geneva last month with a time of 13.10sec. It was a personal-best time by 0.02sec.

It bettered the B qualifying standard of 13.11sec that was set for the world athletics championships in Berlin. The A standard is 12.96sec.

Miller is based in Belgium and prepared for the University Games and the world championships with a series of meetings in Europe.

Andrew Moore (24), the other Otago athlete in the New Zealand Universities team, was second in his heat of the 400m in 47.52sec and seventh in the semifinal in 47.36sec and did not qualify for the final.

Moore leads the national ranking in the event with his personal-best time of 46.95sec, which he ran in Invercargill last summer.

• Dunedin sprinter Todd Johnston was a member of the New Zealand medley relay team that finished fourth at the World Youth Championships in Sudirol, Italy.

The other team members were Joseph Millar, Alex Jordan and Frazer Wickes.

Their time was 1min 53.51sec and followed the second placing they achieved in their heat in 1min 53.97sec.

• New Zealand senior discus champion Marshall Hall has been named in the New Zealand team for the Oceania regional championships on the Gold Coast in Australia next month.

Hall gained selection after winning the discus title at the Arafura Games in Australia last May.

New Zealand team for Oceania regional champs

Scott Burch (Palmerston North), 200m, 400m; Michael Cochrane (Tauranga), 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles; Marshall Hall (Otago), discus; Clayton Mbofana (Auckland), 100m, 200m; Regan Standing (Hawera), high jump; Michael Whitehead (Pukekohe), 800m; Rebecca Gibson (Southland), 400m. Manager, Andrea Williams (Hastings).