26 Mar 2012

Race walker Rew has potential to do well in London

12:37 pm on 26 March 2012

Athletics New Zealand is confident 50-kilometre race walker Quentin Rew will be selected for this year's London Olympics.

Four athletes, shotputter Valerie Adams, 1500 metre runner Nick Willis, marathon runner Kimberly Smith and javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar were named Sunday as part of the initial athletics team for London.

Rew achieved an A qualifying standard at a meeting in Slovenia at the weekend and Athletics New Zealand selectors have put forward his nomination.

Convenor of selectors Graham O'Brien says while Rew's ranking is probably outside the top 16 at the moment, they feel he is showing the potential to do well in London.

Also named was an additional group of shot-putter Jacko Gill, decathlete Brent Newdick, and distance runners Adrian Blincoe and Nikki Hamblin.

They've met selection standards with either current form or competition for their single B-category spots in the Olympic team standing in the way of formal selection until the qualification period ends on July 8th.