The New Zealand weightlifting team continued to re-write the record books at the Arafura Games in Australia over the weekend.
Lifter Kanah Andrews-Nahu led the charge, lifting a combined total of 201kg to set three junior Oceania records and place first in the 76kg category. Teammate Bailey Rogers placed second with a 199kg effort.
In the men’s division Cameron McTaggart placed 1st in the 81kg category with a combined total of 301kg to break four New Zealand records.
Meanwhile Sarah Walker finished ninth in her first BMX World Cup Supercross of the all-important 2019 season in Manchester.
It proved a consistently strong start for Walker who is chasing selection for her third Olympics in Tokyo.
Walker jumped well from the outside gate in her semifinal and managed to manoeuvre around a crash that took out her Dutch TVE Sport teammate Merel Smulders. Walker was pushed wide on the turn by Denmark’s Simone Christensen and while the Kiwi made ground she was pipped by half a second for the last spot to the final.
North Harbour rider Michael Bias enjoyed an encouraging competition in the elite men. Bias had a top effort out of the gate to finish second in the round of 16 in one of the fastest times in that round. He then came up against a stacked heat in the round of eight and missed out on the quarterfinals by one place.
In Dublin New Zealand men’s squash No.2 Campbell Grayson won the Irish Open.
Third seed Grayson defeated seventh seed Mahesh Manaonkar of India in relatively straight forward fashion to take the title which gives him confidence for some big tournaments coming up in the next month.
Grayson will now prepare for the British Open in Hull, 20-26 May.
Back in New Zealand a strong squad has been named for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The 23-woman squad, have set the goal of making history for New Zealand by being the first team to win at a World Cup and first to advance from the group stage.
Six players Olivia Chance, Victoria Esson, Nadia Olla, Paige Satchell, Sarah Morton and Stephanie Skilton are all selected for their first FIFA Women’s World Cup, while Hannah Wilkinson has recovered from a serious knee injury to earn her place.
The squad has six players – Ria Percival, Abby Erceg, Ali Riley, Betsy Hassett, Katie Duncan and Annalie Longo (with Rosie White, 99 caps, hoping to bring up her century against the USA) with more than 100 A internationals for New Zealand.
“I am really happy with the group,” said coach Tom Sermanni.
“We have a good balance of experienced players, who have been there and know what it is all about, and we have some young up and coming players to complement that.
"Those experienced players are very important for this tournament. For this particular cycle, including the Olympics, it may be the last one at this level so it makes it critical for them. I know they are all keen to go out with a good impression.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup will be staged from 7 June to 7 July across nine cities in France. The World No 19 Football Ferns will take on World No 5 Canada, World No 8 the Netherlands and World No 46 Cameroon in Group E.
Football Ferns squad for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France (Club, Country, Caps and Goals)
CJ Bott (Vittsjo GIK, SWE) 16, 1
Katie Bowen (Utah Royals, USA) 59, 3
Olivia Chance (Everton FC, ENG) 11, 0
Daisy Cleverley (University of California, USA) 8, 2
Katie Duncan (Onehunga Sports) 122, 1
Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage, USA) 135, 6
Victoria Esson (Avaldsnes, NOR) 3, 0
Anna Green (Miramar Rangers) 72, 7
Sarah Gregorius (Miramar Rangers) 91, 33
Betsy Hassett (KR Reykjavik, ISL) 111, 13
Emma Kete (Unattached) 50, 3
Annalie Longo (Unattached) 113, 15
Meikayla Moore (MSV Duisburg, GER) 35, 3
Sarah Morton (Western Springs) 6, 1
Erin Nayler (Girondins Bordeaux, FRA) 61, 0
Nadia Olla (Western Springs) 1, 0
Ria Percival (West Ham United, ENG) 139, 14
Ali Riley (Chelsea, ENG) 123, 1
Paige Satchell (Three Kings United) 11, 1
Stephanie Skilton (Papakura City) 9, 0
Rebekah Stott (Avaldsnes, NOR) 71, 4
Rosie White (Unattached) 99, 24
Hannah Wilkinson (Unattached) 87, 25