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EVENT: Athletics: Men's 800m

Wellington’s James Preston is a middle-distance runner specializing in the 800m. He first made his mark on the global stage when setting a New Zealand U20 record at the 2016 World U20 Championships in Poland, running 1:48.06.

In 2019, Preston finished sixth in the 800m at the World University Games in Naples. He claimed his first national senior 800m title in 2021 and ran a personal best of 1:45.30 in Germany in 2022. In 2024 he set a New Zealand indoor record of 1:47.59 at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Preston’s crowning achievement came when he broke Sir Peter Snell’s 62-year-old national 800m record with a time of 1:44.04 at the Merck Running Festival in Germany, securing his spot for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

P

James Preston

Biography

Fast facts