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Smith heads NZ Track and Field Team for World university Games
Monday, June 27th, 2005
ATHENS Olympian Kimberley Smith shapes as New Zealand’s leading medal hope on the track at August’s World University Games in Turkey. The 23-year-old middle distance runner heads a 20-strong Kiwi track and field team confirmed today for the 23rd Summer Universiade in Izmir from August 11-21.
Smith, who recently graduated from Providence College in Rhode Island, finished 20th of 41 starters in the 5000m at last summer’s Olympics. She has since produced the second fastest indoor 5000m time of the year, a 14min 50.46s effort that would place her third in the 2005 outdoor rankings. Rated 29th in the latest 5000m world rankings, Smith has also ran the 10th fastest 10,000m time of 2005 of 31min 21s. She was third in the 3000m at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York earlier this month following a stellar collegiate career where she was named 2003-04 NCAA Athlete of the Year and US Track Coaches Association female athlete of the year after winning the 3000m and 5000m double at the 2004 NCAA indoor championships. Even though Smith is now running professionally in the US, she qualifies for the World University Games as she was still studying before the Izmir entry deadline.
Providence College junior Fiona Crombie is another strong Kiwi medal hope after twice breaking her own New Zealand 3000m steeplechase record en-route to winning All American honours at this month’s NCAA track and field championships in Sacramento. Crombie slashed more than six seconds off her previous best with her time of 10m 08.36s, good enough for sixth in the NCAA final.
Mary Davies, another Izmir-bound, US-based Kiwi, was 10th in the 10,000m in a personal best time of 33m 31.54s. National heptathlon champion Rebecca Wardell is another with realistic medal hopes.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games hopefuls Belinda Castles, Daniel Good and Mark Holyoake will compete in artistic gymnastics in Izmir.
More than 8500 athletes and officials will compete in 14 sports at the Universiade, the largest multisports event outside the Olympic Games.
New Zealand track and field team for Izmir:
Sprints - Andrew Moore, Craig Bearda, Tim Hawkes, Cory Innes, Sam Rapson, Christa Clyde, Charlotte Osborne, Sarah Johnstone.
Middle-distance - Dale Summerville, Stu Kerr, Richard Jones, Fiona Crombie, Mary Davies, Rebecca Forlong, Michelle Prowse, Kimberley Smith.
Field events - JG Nel, Johan Smallberger, Sarah Cowley, Rebecca Wardell.
