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Who is New Zoe Hobbs, the first sprinter from New Zealand to qualify for the Olympics in 50 years?

Zoe Hobbs became the first female sprinter from New Zealand to qualify for an Olympics Games 100m in nearly 50 years.

By Soumya | Jul 4, 2023 | 3 Min Read

Zoe Hobbs became the first female sprinter from New Zealand to qualify for an Olympics Games 100m in nearly 50 years. Hobbs, 25, ran 10.96 seconds in the heats at La Chaux-de-Fonds before winning the final in 11.13. Hobbs also set a personal best to win her heat at the Continental Tour Challenger meet in Switzerland. For the first time in half a century, New Zealand will have a representative sprinter at a Games which is a very big deal for the country down under. New Zealand has always been regarded as a country with sporting prowess in sports like cricket and rugby. However, Zoe Hobbs is changing the definition of sports in her own country.

Zoe Hobb’s Reaction

“When I saw the time come up I couldn’t believe it,” Hobbs said. “I didn’t think I would run that time, especially given the conditions … The wind was all over the shop with head and tailwinds. “I didn’t think I would run a PB in the heat at all … It was a bit of a shock when I saw what the time was.”

Hobbs, who began her European season at last week’s Diamond League in Lausanne, said she was relieved to have achieved the qualifying time for Paris 2024 before the world championships. The world championships are gonna begin the next month in Budapest.

“It takes a massive weight off my shoulders and makes a big difference leading into the rest of the season,” Hobbs added. “I don’t have to chase the time now. I can focus on what I need to in the lead-up to the world champs.”

Zoe Hobbs: Career

Zoe is the Oceanian indoor record holder for the 60 m and the Oceanian record holder for the 100 m. Her personal best in the 100 m sprint 10.96 seconds is the Oceanian record for any individual. She was the first Oceanian woman to break the 11-second barrier in the 100 m. She won 10 individual New Zealand national titles. Hobbs started with the semi-finals of the 100 metres event at the 2013 World Under-18 Championships held in Ukraine. She’s also credited for setting the current New Zealand U20 100 m record. At the national championships, Zoe has been a star. She has been a national champion on 10 occasions in 100m and 200m cumulatively.

In January 2019, she broke Michelle Seymour’s 1994 New Zealand residents’ 100 m record with a time of 11.42 s. Two years later, in 2021 Hobbs twice equalled Michelle Seymour’s 28-year-old New Zealand 100 m record of 11.32 s, before lowering it on 18 December to 11.27 s. In March 2023, Hobbs lowered the Oceania and NZs all-comers’ 100 m records with a time of 11.07 s in the heats of the NZ National Championships in Wellington. During this time her personal best also came in the Resisprint International in La Chaux-de-Fonds, France. Now, with an Olympic berth confirmation, she can turn out to be a tough competitor in the women’s 100 m sprint.

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