A community led 19-strong development team has been named to compete at the 2023 Pacific Games to take place in Honiara, Solomon Islands from 19 November - 2 December.
The group includes a mix of emerging athletes breaking into the senior ranks and athletes with greater experience. The Games will provide a good opportunity for the team to represent their country on the international stage.
The 17th edition of the quadrennial multi-sport competition will feature 5000 participants - including athletes, technical officials and team support - from 24 countries competing across 24 sports.
Among the selected athletes for the New Zealand team includes 2021 New Zealand 400m champion Camryn Smart, daughter of 1996 Olympic 800m finalist Toni Hodgkinson, who is set to compete in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay in Honiara.
Camryn, 22, missed the 2022-23 track and field campaign through a hip injury, so she welcomes the opportunity to make her competitive return for New Zealand at the Pacific Games.
“I’m very excited to represent my country in an international competition, especially after missing the whole of last season,” explains Camryn. “It will be nice to be back in race mode and competing in warm weather and I hope to do my best for New Zealand.”
Auckland-based Camryn, who originally hails from Motueka at the top of the South Island, says her mum, Toni, who still holds the New Zealand women’s 800m record, is “super supportive” and she has simple advice ahead of the Pacific Games.
“Mum says to me to have fun,” adds Camryn. “I’m still quite young, so she says it is important to embrace the team environment and have a good group around you and this will make the experience more enjoyable.”
For Auckland sprinter George Kozlov, selection on the New Zealand team for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at the 2023 Pacific Games is validation for his return to athletics after stepping away from the sport for the best part of a year.
Bedevilled by hamstring, achilles and hip injuries the former national under-18 sprint medallist quit athletics in August 2021. Yet he found her couldn't stay away and after opting to return last year he had backed up the exciting potential he revealed as a teenage sprinter, by posting a series of wind-aided sub-11-second 100m times.
George, who is about to start a full-time role in finance, said: “Sprinting is like an art and ultimately it is the thing I love most, it is my way of escaping. When I was competing well in 2017, I had my sights set on representing my country at the World U20 Championships. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen because of injuries but being finally given the chance to represent my country is a great personal achievement after all I’ve been through the past five years.
“I hope to inspire others through my journey and, for me, there is no better place to do that then in Honiara with the New Zealand singlet on.”
Athletics Team Lead at the 2023 Pacific Games Fiona Maisey said: “We have selected a team of emerging athletes that have not represented their country in the Black Singlet in that tertiary age group but who will be given that opportunity to compete at an international prestige event.
“We’ve balanced the team with athletes new to the senior ranks with those of greater seniority, who will be able to help the younger ones compete on the international stage.”
The full athletics team is:
- Jordan Evans-Tobata, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4 x 100m, 4 x 400m relay
- Elizabeth Hewitt, Hammer Throw
- Lara Hockly, 100m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4 x 100m relay
- Tillie Hollyer, 800m, 1500m, 4 x 400m relay
- Diana Ismagilova, Triple Jump
- George Kozlov, 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m relay
- Peyton Leigh, 800m, 1500m, 4 x 400m relay
- Percy Maka, Discus
- Liam O'Donnell, 800m 1500m
- Finn O'Sullivan, 400m, 4 x 100m relay
- Jack Paine, 800m, 1500m
- Rebecca Peterson, 100m, Long Jump, Triple Jump, 4 x 100m relay
- Mariah Ririnui, 100m, Long Jump, 4 x 100m relay
- Ryan Shotter, 100m, 4 x 100m relay
- Camryn Smart, 200m, 400m, 4 x 400m relay
- Scott Thomson, Triple Jump, 4 x 100m relay
- Stephen Thorpe, Decathlon
- Georgia Whiteman, 200m, 400m, Hurdles, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 400m
- Hayato Yoneto, 100m, 200m, 4 x 100m
The five-day athletics programme takes place from Monday 27 November – Friday 1 December.
About the New Zealand Team for the Solomon Islands 2023 Pacific Games
The 2023 Pacific Games will take place between 19 November and 2 December in the Solomon Islands. The Games are a quadrennial multi-sport event which celebrates sport and Pacific culture.
5,000 participants (including athletes, technical officials and support staff) from 24 Countries will compete across 24 sports at the Games. New Zealand is expected to be represented by approximately 70 athletes across archery, athletics, boxing, karate, para table tennis, women’s rugby league nines and weightlifting.
The archery, boxing and weightlifting competitions in Honiara are qualifying opportunities for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Tweet Share