FEATURE

The Big Shot Returns with Miles of Excitement

By International Track Meet

The Big Shot, the international shot put event hosted in central Christchurch, will return in February with the addition of an International Street Mile race to be held around surrounding streets. Kiwi drawcards confirmed already will be dynamic young shotputters Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill, and NZ’s top middle distance stars Nick Willis and Angie Petty, with their international rivals still to be confirmed in each event.

Organisers expect the crowd which will line the streets to see Olympic silver medallist Willis and World University Games champion Petty take on international competition in their respective street mile races, to then gravitate to the shotput arena adjacent to the finish line to see Walsh and Gill show their powers with the 7.26kg steel ball in The Big Shot. The events will be based again at the Retro Sports Facility, the Gap Filler Trust site on the corner of Durham and Kilmore Streets, on Monday the 8^th of February, on the long Waitangi Day weekend.

Also announced today was the return of the International Track & Field Trust’s charity luncheon and memorabilia auction, which will be held on the preceding Thursday, and will feature Kiwi sporting icon Rob Waddell, now chef de mission of the New Zealand Olympic team, as guest speaker.  General admission to both The Big Shot and the Street Miles will be free to the public, with hosting packages available now and tickets to the luncheon going on sale in January.

The International Track & Field Trust also took the opportunity today to announce the award of six travel grants, presented to young Cantabrians seeking assistance to travel in search of greater competitive opportunities.
 

Recipient	Specialist Event	Travelling to:
Gabrielle Gray (19)	5000m	Sydney Track Classic, Australia, March 2016
Alex Mander (18)	Decathlon	Australian Combined Events Championship, March 2016
Mitchell Small (16)	Cross Country	World Secondary Schools Championships, Hungary, Apr 2016
Nick Moulai (15)	Cross Country	World Secondary Schools Championships, Hungary, Apr 2016
Harriet Bush (16)	Middle Distance	Potts Classic, Napier; and Cooks Classic, Wanganui – Jan 2016
Lily Trotter (15)	Middle Distance	Capital Classic, Wellington, January 2016