Hamish Carson earns late selection for the Athletics World Championships at Hayward Field, Eugene, Oregon
One of Athletics Wellington’s favourite athletes, Wellington Scottish’s 33 year old Hamish Carson has scored a break to line up at the home of USA Track & Field at the upcoming World Athletics Championships. He will represent New Zealand for the first time over 5000 metres and not the 1500 metres event when he ran at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Carson will join WHAC’s Quentin Rew who makes his 6th appearance at a World Championship but this time in new event too. Previously he has competed over 20km Race Walk and 50 Km Race walk however the new standard long road walk is now 35 Km.
Carson had managed to secure the final spot on the World Athletic rankings roll down to secure the spot for selection which for Hamish has come after a Covid disrupted autumn.
Unlucky not to earn selection was clubmate James Preston after his excellent performances over 800m. Preston missed the ranking roll down qualification by 4 spots for the 800m dominated by Auto qualifiers posting 1.45.20 or better. Preston’s recent personal best was 1.45.30
Carson in action at Diamond League in Paris
Carson ran 13.17.27 in Huelva, Spain on May 25th, a performance that now ranks him6th on NZL all time 500m list behind Adrian Blincoe, Dick Quax, the Robertson twins and his NZL team mate for Oregon Geordie Beamish, and just in front of Rod Dixon and John Walker. This performance came after contracting Covid in early March after he ran an impressive 6th place in 7.47 3000 metres in Torun on the World Indoor Tour on 22 February.
After being cautious and recovering from Covid Carson opened with 13.52 73 5000m at a local club meet in early May in Lier Belgium which encourage him to go all out for time in Spain, which earned him Diamond League start in Paris on the 18 June where he clocked 13.23.37 earning more valuable WA ranking points. In between his top 5000m race he clocked two credible 1500m times of 3.38.97 and 3.37.73 at the Josef Odlozila Meet in Prague and The Ireny Szewinksi meet in Bydgoszcz Poland.
Like Beamish, Carson has great 1500m finishing speed that may be an asset to qualify through heats to finals.
The schedule for Wellington reps will be
Hamish Carson 5000m heats 21 July 18.10 Oregon or 13.10 NZT on 22 July
Hamish Carson 5000m Final finals Sunday 24 18.05 or Monday 25 NZT time 13.05.
Quentin Rew 35 km Race Walk Sunday 24 July 06.15 or Monday 25 NZT 0.15
