Masters hone skills

The Cook Islands masters athletics champs will be held over three days next week culminating with events on Wednesday afternoon (Gospel Day).

The majority of the events will take place at the BCI stadium starting on Monday afternoon at 4.30pm.

The meeting will continue on Tuesday afternoon from 5pm and conclude on Wednesday afternoon from 3pm.

For the Cook Islands athletes it is an opportunity to test their preparations for the next Oceania Masters Champs that will be held in Tauranga, New Zealand from the February 5 to 12 next year.

We have a small group that includes six masters age group athletes that will be here for the champs. Amongst these are some very well performed athletes including John Deleiros (M60) who won a silver medal in the 200m at the World Indoors Masters Champs in 2010.

The events scheduled for Monday afternoon starting at 4:30pm are the triple jump, hammer throw (held from circle on Nikao field), followed by the 800m, 3000m walk, 2000m steeplechase and finishing at 6:30pm with the 60m sprints.

On Tuesday afternoon the session will start at 5pm with the high jump and shot put (Nikao) followed by the 5000m for men and the 3000m for women.

The programme will finish at around 6:15pm with the 200m.

The champs will conclude on Wednesday afternoon commencing at 3pm with the long jump and discus, followed by the 1500m, the javelin throw, the 100m and 400m and will conclude around 5:30pm with a closing barbeque after some fun relays.

To give any one the opportunity to try an event for next week we will have a session tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) for any masters athlete at 5pm to participate in a sprint, jump throw or middle distance event.