The Otago athlete saved the best for last, snapping up three medals across the weekend to wrap up the national track and field championships in Auckland.
Veitch retained his senior men’s long jump title leaping to a season’s best of 7.70m — followed by his trademark celebratory back flip and bow to the crowd — to secure the title. Otago team-mate Felix McDonald won bronze with 7.31m.
Veitch then linked up with McDonald, alongside Hayato Yoneto and Cameron Moffitt, to secure Otago another relay podium finish.
They were bumped into gold medal position in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3min 17.94sec after Auckland were disqualified.
Otago’s second team of Matthew Bolter, Nicolas Alvarez Rey-Virag, Jake Owne and Luke Moffitt won bronze — after Canterbury and Tonga were also disqualified — with a time of 3min 30.45sec.
It was Otago’s second men’s relay title of the championships after Yoneto, Cameron Moffitt, Schuyler Orr and John Gerber won Otago’s fifth straight 4x100m national title on the opening day.
Veitch also won silver in the men’s 100m in 10.56m.
Canterbury’s Tiaan Whelpton blitzed the field to win gold in 10.24sec.
Otago Paralympians Holly Robinson and Anna Grimaldi dazzled on the track and in the field.
Robinson won gold in the women’s para shot put over fellow Paralympian Lisa Adams, with a season’s best throw of 12.48m (88.76%). Adams, representing Waikato, won silver with 13.02m (84%).
Grimaldi won silver in the women’s para 100m with a time of 12.84sec (92.60%), while fellow Paralympian Danielle Aitchison (Waikato) won with 13.46sec (99.18%).
Todd Bates cleaned up in the men’s hammer throw with a dominant throw of 53.31m to be crowned the champion.
Jorja Gibbons produced a brilliant race to win bronze in the women’s 100m with a time of 11.84sec.
Olympian Zoe Hobbs (Auckland) put her foot down to win the event in 11.32sec.
Otago’s Ryan Young won silver in the men’s triple jump with a jump of 14.59m and Luke Moffitt won bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles with a personal best of 15.23sec.
Skye Wilson won silver in the women’s under-16 80m hurdles in 12.30sec and Connor Horne won bronze in the men’s under-16 400m in 55.76.
New Zealand’s top talent were also in fine form throughout the weekend.
Olympic and world champion Hamish Kerr (Canterbury) won the men’s high jump in 2.28m and Olympic pole vaulter Eliza McCartney (Auckland) won the women’s event win a season’s best 4.81m, her highest clearance in two years.
Olympic shot putter Tom Walsh (Canterbury) retained his national title with a season’s best 21.10m against Jacko Gill (Auckland), who settled for silver with 20.64m, and Olympian Connor Bell (Auckland) won the men’s discus with 59.06m.
Teen sensation Sam Ruthe (Waikato) completely dominated the men’s 1500m race — with Sam Tanner scratched — with a time of 3min 41.43sec. His younger sister, Daisy, also won the women’s under-16 1500m in 4min 37.38sec.
Paralympian Will Stedman (Canterbury) won the men’s para 100m in 12.47sec (93.99%) and the long jump with 5.40m (87.95%).
