2003 News & Results

Pole vault record-holder Melina Hamilton won the jumps award at the Adidas New Zealand Athlete of the Year award at the Athletics New Zealand awards dinner in Wellington on Saturday.

The award was welcome recognition for Hamilton's huge progress this year, offering some compensation for the severe ankle injury she suffered while building up for the Paris world championships.

Hamilton is still struggling with the injury to her take-off ankle, and it will be some weeks before she can vault.

"I just have to wait and see how it strengthens up," she said yesterday.

"I'm keeping myself fit with other things such as gymnastics and weights. I've got the Olympic Games to get to."