First-placed New Zealand's George Beamish celebrates as he crosses the finish line in the Men's 1500m final during the Indoor World Athletics Championships in Glasgow, 2024. Photo: AFP
Beamish has won a surprise gold medal in the men's 1500 metres final at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow to top off a golden final day for New Zealand.
Beamish, who has recently set national records over 3000m and 5000m, wasn't expected to contend for the medals in Glasgow.
However, he bided his time and went into the final lap in seventh place, before surging home in the final straight to take the title in a personal best of 3:36.54.
Earlier in the day Hamish Kerr soared to gold in the men's high jump after setting a national record of 2.36 metres.
The 27-year-old US based Kiwi has enjoyed a fantastic indoor campaign to start 2024, which included breaking the long-standing New Zealand national 5000m record in Boston in January.
That result ensured a second Olympic entry standard mark for the 2024 Paris Olympics after the Havelock North-raised athlete achieved the feat in the steeplechase during a stellar 2023.
Tactically the race unfolded as Beamish had hoped.
He looked to put himself in the middle of the pack and not get too far back and look to rely on his typically strong finish to kick home.
"I often leave it too late and kick for fifth or sixth and end up having the fastest lap by getting the timing wrong."
His timing was spot on in Glasgow however.
"A lap to go I thought I had a medal chance and then 100m to go I thought a medal any colour ... I'll just take a stab at one of them and then I found myself on the outside and the legs were good."
Athletic New Zealand high performance manager Scott Newman said Beamish was renowned for his strong finish and ran an intelligent race.
"He's known for his fast finish and he just ran a really sensible race.
"He sat at the back of the field, ran his own race and clearly he backed himself, confident that he had the ability to come through and that last lap where he just kept running past everyone was quite extraordinary," Newman said.
American's Cole Hocker and Hobbs Kessler finished second and third respectively.
New Zealand finished the event with two gold medals and two silver medals, the best ever medal haul at the championship.
Eliza McCartney Photo: BEN STANSALL
Pole-vaulter Eliza McCartney and shot-putter Tom Walsh won silver medals earlier in the championship.
New Zealand debutant Maia Ramsden finished 10th in the women's 1500m final.
Newman said New Zealand now had a dozen or so athletes who are truly world class, in the top ten of their respective events.
"At that level, track and field is a game of incredibly small margins... and the group we have got now have been together for a few years and so they are starting to get some international experience and I think this meet was just one of those meets where it went very well for us and the small margins worked in our favour," Newman said.
"But also the international experience we have is starting to show and the athletes are able to put in a great performance when it counts which is obviously reassuring heading into an Olympic year."
