Veitch close to record
Otago long jumper Shay Veitch has soared to new heights.
Veitch leapt to a personal best of 8.04m to win the senior men's long jump at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze event in Belgium on Saturday.
It is the first time the Ariki athlete has crossed the 8m mark and he pulled out his trademark celebration for the occasion, a backflip and bowing to the cheering crowd.
Veitch, who moved to Cambridge earlier this year but still represents Otago, is now just 1cm off the national record of 8.05m set by Bob Thomas in 1968, one of the oldest records in New Zealand.
The record has been in Veitch's sights in recent seasons, and he surpassed his previous personal best of 7.99m from the Sir Graeme Douglas International in 2023.
Since injury hampered his 2024 season, Veitch has been building to some big jumps and has regularly produced them in Belgium.
Veitch opened with a jump of 7.35m before unleashing a 7.99m on his second attempt to equal his best.
He unleashed on the third attempt with 8.04m and followed up with 7.89m and 7.98m in the final two attempts.
German Luka Herden was runner-up with 7.82m.
Earlier this year on the national summer circuit, Veitch regained his national long jump title with 7.76m in front of a home crowd in Dunedin. He also won the International Track Meet in Christchurch with a then season's best of 7.91m.
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