New Zealand athletes had a challenging evening in track and field events, leaving fans feeling disappointed.
Zoe Hobbs aimed to be the first New Zealander in nearly a century to reach an Olympic sprint final but finished sixth in her semi-final race, clocking 11.13 seconds. This time was slower than her previous runs and placed her 14th among 27 semi-finalists.
Hobbs was unable to reach the final, even though some runners qualified with slower times than her personal best. Despite the setback, she joins a select group of New Zealanders, including Arthur Porritt, who won a bronze medal in 1924, to have reached the 100m semi-final stage.
“I just didn’t execute the race I wanted,” Hobbs admitted. “You have to put together a perfect race, especially to make an Olympic final, and I didn’t do that.”
In the men’s shot put, New Zealand had two competitors: Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill. Walsh, a bronze medalist from previous Olympics, injured his abductor muscle during his second throw and could not compete at his best. He expressed hope for recovery before the Olympics but was disappointed by the injury’s impact.
Gill finished in seventh place with a best throw of 21.15 meters, marking his first time in the top eight at the Olympics. The event was won by American Ryan Crouser, who achieved an impressive throw of 22.90 meters.
Earlier in the evening, Sam Tanner competed in the 1500m repechage. Despite starting strong, Tanner fell back to finish 13th, failing to qualify for the semifinals. Tanner struggled with fitness due to previous injuries, which hindered his preparation for the competition.
