New Zealand yesterday basked in “amazing” athletics glory after winning two gold medals in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Geordie Beamish on Monday claimed New Zealand’s first track gold in history with a shock victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, while high jumper Hamish Kerr followed with gold on Tuesday to make it an unprecedented double success for a country much better known for rugby than its prowess in track and field.
Before this week, the country had won only six golds in total at the championships.
Photo: Reuters
Yesterday morning New Zealand were in the giddy position of fourth on the overall medals table — boasting one-third of the gold medals won by the US with just 1.5 percent of the population.
Athletics New Zealand chief executive Cam Mitchell said the results were “incredible,” especially after Beamish fell to the track in the heats before recovering.
“The story with Geordie has been pretty amazing, falling over, getting spiked in the face, getting back up and then getting through and winning the final in the way that he did was pretty special,” Mitchell said. “And then for Hamish to top it all off, just amazing.”
New Zealand’s former 1,500m Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis watched Beamish’s win from Detroit’s airport after a delayed flight, and fellow passengers were bemused at his celebrations.
“It was so epic to watch. I was stuck on the tarmac ... and I thought we were going to take off and I wouldn’t see the last two laps, but our flight was delayed and I got to see Geordie make his way up,” he told the New Zealand Herald.
Athletics in New Zealand receives modest government funding of NZ$3.7 million (US$2.1 million) annually, but the sport has delivered over the past year.
Kerr also won gold at the Paris Olympics last year, where shot putter Maddi Wesche took silver.
“There’s a lot of support for a country like ours, and people love underdog stories,” Mitchell said.
In the Japanese capital, Kerr said Beamish’s triumph a day earlier had spurred him on.
“He gave me a kick in my ass after his win last night so I had to win, too,” Kerr joked.
The heroic pair won world indoor titles on the same day last year — and they did the same a decade earlier, too.
In the small city of Whanganui, Beamish and Kerr competed in a 2014 national high-school event at Cooks Gardens.
A famous venue in New Zealand, it pales in comparison to the 37,000-seater Tokyo crowd at the world championships, but is a rite of passage for Kiwi athletes.
On that day, in an event sponsored by the local golf club, Kerr won high jump gold and Beamish — who then went by George — won the Mars Petcare 3,000m race.
“It’s really kind of cool to share our best moments together,” Kerr said.
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