The New Zealand World Cross-Country Trial: Men’s Preview.
By Daniel Wallis
For the first time in man
y years we may see a full senior men team line up to represent New Zealand at the World Cross Country Championships. The previous policy limited selection to the competition by either winning the New Zealand title, or bettering the standard of 29.15 on the track for 10’000m. Last year in Edinburgh, New Zealand had one representative in the men’s race – cross country stalwart Rees Buck. This year however brings a very different situation.
For the first time in man
y years we may see a full senior men team line up to represent New Zealand at the World Cross Country Championships. The previous policy limited selection to the competition by either winning the New Zealand title, or bettering the standard of 29.15 on the track for 10’000m. Last year in Edinburgh, New Zealand had one representative in the men’s race – cross country stalwart Rees Buck. This year however brings a very different situation. The ‘selection philosophy’ outlined by Athletics New Zealand is to “select a team” for both Junior and Senior teams, which is being carried out in several ways. Firstly, the National Champion is automatically selected for the team, while 2nd & 3rd are ‘pre-selected’, so long as they remain in “good standing” with Athletics NZ and finish in the Top 6 in the Trial at the end of the month - unless given previous dispensation. Furthermore, according to clause 4.5.2 of the selection policy the first non pre-selected athlete from the New Zealand champs to finish at the Trial will be preselected for the team so long as only currently pre-selected athletes finish ahead of them.
Thus, the situation is as follows. Andrew Davidson (as National Champ) has been selected, while Kim Hogarth and Edwin Henshaw are pre-selected (although Henshaw has received dispensation to miss the trial, and thus will be subject to a fitness standard by Athletics New Zealand), while Rowan
Hooper (as the 4th place finisher from NZXC) will be selected so long as he finishes ahead of those who are not already pre-selected.
Hooper (as the 4th place finisher from NZXC) will be selected so long as he finishes ahead of those who are not already pre-selected.
Others in the running for top finishes at the trial are newly crowned NZ 10’000m champ Rees Buck, Rowan Hooper, Shawn Krawitz, Stefan Smith, and Sam Dobson in what will surely be one of the most competitive and exciting cross-country races in NZ for several years, with so much on the line. With so far none of NZ’s truly elite distance runners putting their hand up for selection, it will likely come down to these 7 men in what will be a real ‘grass-roots’ team in Poland – a throw back to the early days of NZ running when our best came from a stock of hardened locals. The Contenders:
Andrew Davidson: (New Balance NZ)
National Cross-Country Champion 2009.
Since finishing second to Kim Hogarth in the New Balance xmas-cracker 5000m, Davidson has been struggling with a pelvic injury, yet remains confident that he can still maintain his spot to Poland.
I really struggled for a week after the 5000m in Christchurch. Training has essentially been running an hour a day, trying to do most of it on hills. I did one formal session since the 5000m but it was quite damaging to my injury so I think I will just cruise through until the trial and hope that the 800km I ran in November is still in the tank. I think I can make top 6 even if I’m only 70-80% right.
Although already selected after his National Championship victory, Davidson has been told that he is still required to finish in the Top 6 at the trial if he intends to travel to Poland. This will require a very different race strategy for the usually aggressive racer, and has made it clear that he will run a more conservative race in order for a Top 6 finish.
Kim Hogarth:
3rd NZXC 2009.
Although not producing quite the performances many expected from the New 
Balance xmas cracker 5km or National 10’000m Champs, Kim Hogarth has the experience and strength to do what is needed to make this team. He will likely be the man to make sure that the pace set is honest, and will be one of the favourites for a Top 3 spot. Hogarth made it clear early on his intention to make the world-cross team, yet has still been able to compete respectably on the track early this season with his finish at the NZ 10000m champs and most recently a 6th place at the NZ 3000m champs.
Balance xmas cracker 5km or National 10’000m Champs, Kim Hogarth has the experience and strength to do what is needed to make this team. He will likely be the man to make sure that the pace set is honest, and will be one of the favourites for a Top 3 spot. Hogarth made it clear early on his intention to make the world-cross team, yet has still been able to compete respectably on the track early this season with his finish at the NZ 10000m champs and most recently a 6th place at the NZ 3000m champs. Representing NZ on the World stage is my goal these days and to do so requires a specific build-up. As such I decided after the NZ Road Championships in 2009 that I would devote 6 months specifically to the World Cross Country Championships 2010 as if I was definitely going to be in the team. Because of this I have been in less than my best shape when it came to NZ Championships such as the 10,000m and 3,000m this year. I also won't be peaking for the trial race on 30th January as I only need to secure a top 6 finish to confirm my selection. After the trial I will start to work more on my 12km speed as at the moment I have just been working on general fitness. If it all goes pear-shaped for some reason at the trial and I don't get selected for whatever reason then I will likely switch back to steeple and 5,000m for the NZ National Track and Field Championships instead.
Hogarth however makes no secret about his thoughts on New Zealand’s World Cross policy, which is essentially based around domestic competition, and how he believes the championship should be approached in terms of what team is selected to wear the black singlet in Poland.
Given this is a self-funded trip, so what if the team is a little "weak". The era of representing your country being an acceptable goal is well gone in the eyes of Athletics NZ as it seems to be driven by SPARC’s current philosophies. Personally the day they (ANZ) start footing the bill for World Cross Country Championships is the day they can set expectations on performance again. An individual result at World Cross Country Championships doesn't seem to mean that much any more, unless you are mixing it with the top ten, but an ok team result does mean something for the country and for all those that may follow in being selected for this event. What the current funding and selection situation means is that the top 10km runners that NZ does have don't want to focus on this event as ANZ and SPARC have basically labelled it as non-event and sealed its demise. To me World X-Cross Country tests the best in the world at all distance disciplines against each other. To achieve an individual or team result of note in that cauldron of talent is amazing and is "developmental" to all who attend. World Cross Country is also one of the few places your "older" or late starting athletes can get international experience if they desire to make a Commonwealth, Olympic or World T&F Champs team, so why make it unrealistically unattainable?
Hogarth is equally clear when discussing the prospective teams chances in Poland as none of New Zealand’s current elite-level athletes use the World Cross Country as a key event, unlike their Australian counterparts where previous years have seen Benita Willis, Craig Mottram, and Collis Birmingham specifically targeting the event.
Hoping we have a minimum of four who could count to a team total the result will likely be, quite frankly, poor compared to previous teams. But as mentioned there isn't much incentive for them to go unless it was to help NZ based sub-elite athletes develop. It would be unreasonable as a sub-elite athlete to expect our elite athletes to pay their way to Poland for the "greater good" of NZ athletics in general. Personally I would be proud to be the 5th or 6th ranked man in a full team of six if the likes of Blincoe, Aish, Willis were to line up and I bet you would see a lot more competition at the NZ trial to be the 5th and 6th men then.
Rees Buck: (New Balance NZ)
5th NZXC 2009.
Rees Buck has competed at more World Cross Country Championships than everyone else in the running put together. In fact the tally actually stands at 5-0. Although having never won the Senior Men’s NZ Cross title, Buck was the sole selection for worlds last year after running 29.12 at the Zatopek Classic 10km in 2008 – finishing 3rd. As the recently crowned NZ 10’000m champion, Bucks fitness is impressive leading into the race. Moreover, his ability to consistently qualify for Worlds despite never having won a Senior Cross title is indicative of his passion to continually represent NZ at World Cross. Buck is the most experienced, one of the fittest and one of the favourites. If he follows the moves of the early leaders no one will beat him, especially not on his own territory.
Rowan Hooper: (New Balance NZ)
4th NZXC 2009.
A favourite to make the team is former NZXC runner-up Rowan Hooper. Although he does not have quite the resume on the track as many of the others competing, Hooper is without doubt in his element over 12km on the grass. He will likely push it hard from 8000m onwards to separate those still in the mix. However, the course in Trentham is a far cry from the hills and mud where he claimed silver at the NZ Champs two years ago, meaning he will need to push hard to run the kick out of the likes of Buck and Krawitz. Nonetheless, although Hooper is unlikely to take the win itself, he will do a lot to separate the men from the boys and decide who makes the team to Poland.
With Davidson, Hogarth, Buck, Henshaw and Hooper strong favourites to make the team, there remains three others who will be throwing everything they have at each other for the chance to impress the selectors and convince them to take a full 6 to Poland.
Sam Dobson:
6th NZXC 2009.
Always a consistent performer domestically in NZ, Dobbo will is definitely one to look out for. Last year he finished 11th in the Australian XC Champs and was recently 21st in the Great Australian Run. Relatively under the radar so far this track season, he will be a dark horse for a Top 6 spot.
Shaun Krawitz:
7th NZXC 2009.
The Australian based Krawitz is undoubtedly his best over cross-country, and 
although he may not take the title, a recent 7th place at the Australian World Cross Trial will mean Krawitiz must surely be very confident heading into the race. Krawitz is also optimistic about the selection policy, particularly in comparison the Australian model.
although he may not take the title, a recent 7th place at the Australian World Cross Trial will mean Krawitiz must surely be very confident heading into the race. Krawitz is also optimistic about the selection policy, particularly in comparison the Australian model. I think the selection policy this year is the best that NZ has had for qualification into the WXC team since I started running. It gives the athletes several chances to prove themselves and, as a result, gives the selectors a lot of information to choose the best team possible. Running is an objective sport, where selections should be based purely on results. In an ideal world, I’d like to see NZ move towards the American selection process, removing any subjectivity or bias. The move to add the selection trial race this year is a fantastic step in the right direction. The winner of the NZXC in August deserves a spot on the team; otherwise what would be the point of running the champs? In Australia, they have a different selection process that puts pretty much all the emphasis on the Selection race and doesn’t reward the winner of their national championships. As a result, a lot of the top Australians don’t bother showing up to their national champs in August.
Stefan Smith: (2XU NZ)
10th NZXC 2009.
Finishing 3rd at both the North and South Island Cross-Country Championships last year, Smith has beaten several top athletes in this field and is determined to make the team. Like Hogarth, his preparation has been specific to the trial, resulting in what he considers ‘less than desirable’ results on the track at both the NZ 10000m and 3000m championships.
I know there will be a few guys there that I should be around and that it might be 1 or 2 guys to narrowly miss out, I just don't want to be one of them. I'm not thinking if I don't make the team what I will do after, rather how I will race well enough to make the team.
At the end of the day, if Davidson and Hogarth can finish in the Top 6 – they are guaranteed to be selected, while if Henshaw can pass a fitness test in the US he will also be selected. Rowan Hooper is in line for the 4th spot as long as he can finish ahead of those he beat at Nationals. With four to count at World Cross, that is technically a “team”. However, it almost seems unnecessary to have a trial race to only ‘pre-select’ one other athlete. It is also unclear what will happen if Hooper does not beat those that he did at the National Champ’s. If he does, hopefully one of either Buck, Dobson, or Smith have a cracker of a race and persuade the selectors to take 5 to Poland. If not, we may only see Davidson, Hogarth, and Henshaw (pending his own subjective criteria) at the World Champs, despite ANZ’s “philosophy” to select a team.
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One comment to "The New Zealand World Cross-Country Trial: Men’s Preview. "
Update: Rees Buck out of the trial with a torn soleus.
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