Blincoe breaks Quax's 31-year-old mark
21/07/2008 2:52 PM
Adrian Blincoe has wiped one of the longer standing records from the New Zealand track and field records book by breaking Dick Quax's 31-year-old 5000m record.
At the time, Quax's time of 13m 12.87s set in Stockholm on July 5, 1977 was a world record for the distance.
Blincoe achieved the record when he finished 11th in 13m 10.19s in the event at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden, Belgium.
Blincoe improved his best time for the distance by just over seven seconds.
Quax had no concerns with the record being broken.
"The record has been around for a long time and I am delighted that Adrian has got it," he said.
"It was interesting that I met up with Adrian in Wanganui in February and he said that he was going to have a go at the record.
"I wished him good luck and hoped that he got it."
Quax sent Blincoe a message of congratulations and wished him the best for the Olympic Games in Beijing.
The winning time for the Belgium even was 13m 2.84s by Moroccan Mourad Marofit.