New Zealand announces team for Doha 2015

A team of eight athletes has been named by Athletics New Zealand for the IPC Athletics World Championships (21-31 October) in Doha, Qatar.

The Doha 2015 team will be the strongest team New Zealand has sent to an IPC Athletics World Championships for some time, with four athletes ranked in the top five of their classifications for their events. It is the same size as the team that competed at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Two athletes who last represented New Zealand at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championship in Lyon, France, have made the team: javelin throwers Holly Robinson (F46) and Rory McSweeney (F44).

Robinson returned from Lyon with a silver medal in the javelin and is ranked third in the world this season. She has also added the long jump to her repertoire.

McSweeney has continued to improve, throwing over 50m and has a world ranking of fifth in his merged classification.

Coming back into the sport after a break since the Christchurch 2011 is Jess Hamill in the shot put F34. Hamill won silver at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Newcomers to major international events include sprinters Anna Grimaldi (T47), Liam Malone (T43), Will O’Neill (T35) and William Stedman (T35).

Caitlin Dore will also compete in the javelin, shot put and discus F37.

Raylene Bates, Athletics New Zealand’s High Performance Para-Athlete Manager, attributed the team’s progression to the para-athletics development programme that has been in place for several years. The programme has identified athletes at the secondary school level and put support structures in place around them. Bates also credited the integration of the para-athlete and able-bodied high performance and competition programmes for the improvements.

Bates will manage the team in Doha. Jonathan Black has been appointed coach, and Helen Littleworth fills the physiotherapist role.

The team assembles on 25 September for a camp in Dunedin, New Zealand, that will include heat simulation preparation and two competitions. They depart on 6 October for 10 days training in Darwin, Australia, preparing for the temperatures in Doha, and arrive on 16 October for the Championships.

Women

Caitlin Dore – shot put, discus, javelin F37

Anna Grimaldi – 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump T47

Jessica Hamill – shot put F34

Holly Robinson – javelin, long jump F46

Men

Rory McSweeney – javelin F44

Liam Malone – 100m, 200m T43

Will O'Neill – 100m, 200m T35

William Stedman – 200m, 400m, long jump T36

For more information on PNZ’s Doha 2015 team, visit PNZ’s website. Also visit Doha 2015’s event website for more information on the IPC Athletics World Championships.