New Zealand athletics is using the crest of a wave.
Paris Olympic gold medalist Hamish Kerr stays the world’s main excessive jumper. On the 2025 world championships in Tokyo, Whanganui surprise George Beamish outlasted all adversaries within the 3000m steeplechase closing.
Timaru titan Tom Walsh lately gained an unprecedented fourth World Indoor shot put title in Poland and turbo-charged Tauranga teen Sam Ruthe is rewriting age-group middle-distance working information. World-class wāhine embrace pole vaulter Imogen Ayris, shot putter Maddi Wesche, and sprinter Zoe Hobbs.
In feminine middle-distance working, no one previously three a long time has come near rivalling Golden Bay’s ‘Golden Woman’, Toni Hodgkinson.
Hodgkinson, a 10-time nationwide champion within the 400, 800, and 1500m, nonetheless holds the nationwide 800m document of 1m 58.25s. She set this time within the semifinal on the Atlanta Olympics on July 27, 1996, qualifying for the Olympic closing, the place she completed eighth. Her time from Atlanta would have additionally positioned her sixth within the 2024 Paris closing.
For context, again in 1996, New Zealand held its first MMP election, petrol value about $1.83 per litre, and the Macarena was a worldwide hit.
“Once I did it, I didn’t take into consideration the longevity of the document. I keep in mind my coach, John Davies, saying that fairly just a few ladies will run 1.59, and quite a bit fewer will run 1.58. Operating 1.58 was a major milestone. It was an important run, actually,” Hodgkinson recollects.
“The earlier document was held by Sue Haden, about 2.2, which appeared a good distance off in Olympic 12 months, however I lowered that mark 5 occasions, as soon as to place me in rivalry for qualifying after which in Melbourne to qualify after which within the Olympics 3 times.
“The Olympics again then had been completely different. There have been seven or eight heats within the first spherical, with solely the highest two advancing mechanically. The plan was to run the primary spherical like a closing as a result of, realistically, I wasn’t going to get by way of.
“I ran aggressively, however due to my inexperience, I wasn’t comfy working on the pole line, so I sat large on the entrance and really took the lead with 200 to go. It was a really dominant run, and I completed second.
“Earlier than the semi, John informed me you possibly can’t run that large once more and get by way of. I drew lane one once more. John mentioned you’re going to have to remain on the pole line and run as brief a distance as you possibly can. He insisted issues would finally open up. I tucked into the center of the sector, squeezed into a spot, and held on for fourth place. The highest 4 within the two semis superior by way of to the ultimate. It was fairly a unique run; tactically the perfect I ever did.”
Particular planning, fast adaptation, and sensible nous are qualities Hodgkinson applies every day as a shareholder in a number of ITM constructing shops along with her husband, Alistair Good, a two-time New Zealand 400m hurdles silver winner.
The couple have ITM shops in Takaka, Nelson and Motueka, the place Hodgkinson is usually seen on the ground, speaking with clients. She’s executed this since 2002.
“I do inward items and freight. I take pleasure in constructing and actual property. Dad was a builder. He constructed all our properties. I take pleasure in working with builders, sharing a mutual curiosity to assist folks with their development tasks,” Hodgkinson says.
“ITM is a co-operative, the biggest group of impartial commerce retailers in New Zealand, so now we have nationwide conferences that are a variety of enjoyable. Proudly owning our personal enterprise additionally provides us independence and suppleness.”
Hodgkinson’s affiliation with ITM started when Good moved from Auckland to Motueka for an IT challenge too good to refuse.
She’s raised her daughters, Camryn and Riley, not removed from the place she grew up. Each gained medals on the NZ secondary faculty observe and discipline championships whereas at Motueka Excessive College, with Camryn turning into the nationwide senior 400m champion in 2021.
“Once I completed athletics, I didn’t actually observe it intently till my daughters received concerned. I am going to conferences now. I take pleasure in that: reconnecting with outdated buddies and assembly my daughters’ buddies. There’s far more out there to observe now by way of YouTube,” Hodgkinson says.
“I used to be introduced up in a sporting household. I wish to be doing one thing every single day. Since retirement from athletics, fitness center, netball and biking have been a part of that for me. Being energetic is regular.”
Hodgkinson was an energetic teenager. Whereas at Golden Bay Excessive College in 1985, she gained the junior 1500m on the nationwide secondary colleges championships in a document time that also stands: 4m 29.50s.
Her native coach on the Tākaka Athletics membership was Brian Jacobsen, who had competed towards Rod Dixon, the one athlete to each win the New York Marathon and medal in an Olympic 1500m.
Later, dairy manufacturing facility employee Wally Gillum helped and created a plan for Hodgkinson to make the 1990 Commonwealth Video games in Auckland. In December 1989, she ran her final secondary faculty championship. Two months later, she was on the world stage at Mount Good Stadium. She made the 800m closing, ending ninth. Nice Britain’s Diane Modahl, who gained a full set of Commonwealth medals, gained the occasion.
Staying in Auckland to review and briefly work in physiotherapy introduced Hodgkinson in contact with 1964 Tokyo Olympic 1500m bronze medallist John Davies, an achieved coach whose steady included champions Lorraine Moller, Dick Quax, Mike Ryan, Anne Audain, Phil Clode, and Melissa Moon. Davies handed away in 2003.
“John was a tremendous coach. He all the time introduced an intensive plan for working, understanding the circumstances, ways, and opponents. He usually commented on my races too, which was a buzz,” Hodgkinson says.
“He was a stunning man and socially very affable. I keep in mind many dinners the place he held court docket and informed fantastic tales. He was a significant determine in my profession and life.”
After Hodgkinson certified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she educated extensively in North Carolina to make sure she was in peak situation. Sprawling Atlanta, with its countless motorways and site visitors jams, posed challenges, as routine journeys usually took longer than an hour.
Nonetheless, Hodgkinson stunned nearly everybody by making the 800m closing along with her record-breaking run within the semi. She was the primary Kiwi since Marise Chamberlain, who gained bronze within the 800m in Tokyo in 1964, to succeed in a observe closing. Her roommate in Atlanta, Anne Hare, made the 5000m closing and completed thirteenth. Hodgkinson described Hare as “extremely useful.”
“I keep in mind there was a profile piece that listed all of the wonderful achievements of the sector. For me, all it mentioned was nationwide document holder with out the time and my peak,” Hodgkinson laughs.
Within the closing, Hodgkinson sat near the pole line, maintaining with the main pack till about midway, when she pale, spent from two earlier career-best performances. Russian Svetlana Masterkova surged to a dominant victory and accomplished the 800/1500m double. Maria Mutola gained bronze and gold at Sydney 2000, whereas fourth-placed Kelly Holmes gained the 800/1500m double in Athens in 2004.
“I knew within the warm-up I used to be feeling the results of the heats and all of the logistics of competing within the Olympics. We don’t run three rounds in New Zealand, so it’s actually onerous to place three actually good races collectively in such a cut-throat atmosphere,” Hodgkinson says.
“It was a tremendous lineup within the closing, and a tremendous lineup that didn’t make it. Within the name room beforehand, it’s so tense. You don’t discuss to anybody.
“The opposite factor the Olympics uncovered is that I wasn’t usually competing in congested fields, combating for areas on the observe. I wasn’t used to being jostled, so after Atlanta, I began doing indoor meets and a variety of tactical stuff to enhance.”
Hodgkinson’s transfer to compete indoors paid off. On March 9, 1997, she completed fifth within the closing of the 800m on the world indoor championships in Paris. Her time of 2m 00.36s stays a nationwide document. Hodgkinson described this efficiency as one among her greatest.
5 months later, on the world out of doors championships in Athens, Hodgkinson emulated her Olympic feats by making the ultimate and ending sixth in 2m 00.40s. Cuban Ana Quirot, a silver medallist in Atlanta, defended her world title.
“The power of the highest athletes would usually depend over that final 200m,” Hodgkinson mentioned. “I might usually be there however couldn’t match their power within the latter phases. However I used to be optimistic in regards to the efficiency, and I used to be glad to choose up a few positions on my eighth place on the Olympics.”
The one Kiwi lady to carry out higher at a observe occasion on the world championships is Kim Smith, who completed fourth within the 10,000m closing on the 2007 version in Osaka.
“When you actually benefit from the sport, it’s fabulous to be concerned in,” Hodgkinson says. “There are powerful occasions, and it may be particular person, however it’s being round those that assume alike, prepare onerous and raise you up that brings a lot enjoyment.”
Outdated Athletics Information
The oldest girls’s nationwide observe document was set by Auckland sprinter Kim Robertson in Christchurch on January 19, 1980, when she ran 51.60s within the 400m. She gained the nationwide 400m title six occasions. Hodgkinson additionally holds the indoor 1000m document of 2m 36.96s set on 6 February 2000 in Roxbury, USA. The oldest nationwide indoor document is held by Carmel Corbett, who posted 8.61s within the 60m hurdles at Ann Arbour, Michigan, on 25 February, 1995. The oldest nationwide secondary faculty document for girls is held by Carlene Dillimore, who ran 54.42s over 400m as a junior for Waihi Faculty in 1981.
