Shay Veitch in action over 100m at Hastings. Photo: Kerry Marshall/www.photosport.nz
Long jumper Shay Veitch is again plotting the demise of New Zealand's longest-standing athletics record this weekend.
After Peter Snell's 1962 record 800m time of 1:44:3 was eclipsed by Wellington's James Preston last year - the men's long jump became the country's oldest Olympic record.
Before all-weather tracks became commonplace, Bob Thomas flew 8.05m off a grass run-up at Whangārei's Okara Park in 1968, a performance that has survived almost 60 years.
That's too long for Veitch's liking, as he hopes to finally erase it from the books at the Sir Graeme Douglas International Meet in Auckland on Sunday.
"That record is something else," marvelled the 24-year-old Veitch.
"I don't know how he did that on grass - it would probably be comparable to about 8.30 nowadays.
"It would be lovely to have that though."
Veitch is also making up for lost time in other ways after his career was stalled by a motorcycle accident that left him worse for wear.
After clearing 7.99m at the 2023 Waitākere event, signalling his readiness to claim the throne, he managed just 7.42m, as he lost his national title last season.
"I've pretty much got two years of progress coming in," said Veitch.
"I didn't speak about this too much last season, because I'm not a man of excuses, but I pretty much got wiped off my motorbike by a car.
"That season didn't go to plan, but things are tracking well now."
Last week, the Ariki speedster - now relocated from Dunedin to Cambridge - showed he is back to top form with a stunning 10.34s, a personal best over 100m, defeating a classy field at the Potts Classic in Hastings.
His previous best of 10.54s was set on the same day as his long jump best two years ago and this latest time legitimises the wind-assisted 10.34s he ran for the national sprint title in 2021 at the same venue.
"It's the second time I've run 10.34 in Hastings, but this time I didn't a plus-three wind on my back," reflected Veitch.
"Training's going well - I was thinking 10.2, my coach was saying 10.3, but he's always right.
"That sort of speed tends to help."
But raw speed is not the entire answer, and Veitch admits his challenge has always been controlling that velocity and converting it into power off the take-off board. That may provide the key to his record aspirations this summer.
With the 100m scheduled before the jump, he intends to bypass the sprint this week to focus on that elusive 8m and a big piece of history beyond.
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