Abbey’s off to the US

A radical change to her throwing technique has paid off twofold for rising javelin star Abbey Moody.

Last year the former Marlborough Girls’ College athlete launched the sleek missile over 50 metres, a personal best effort and the fifth longest throw ever by a Kiwi. And her potential has not gone unnoticed. Now ranked second overall in the country, the 19-year-old recently accepted a four-year track and field scholarship to the prestigious Stanford University, near San Francisco, alma mater of such sporting greats as golfer Tiger Woods, tennis player John McEnroe and swimmer Katie Ledecky. Abbey’s potential quickly became obvious at MGC, where she excelled in both athletics and water polo.

It was the aquatic sport which prompted a move to Rangi Ruru Girls’ School for her final two years of college education, her water polo coach being based in Christchurch.

Although Abbey’s prowess in the pool earned her a place in the New Zealand youth water polo squad and selection for the 2022 Youth World Championships, her days spent training in the water were coming to an end as the effort of juggling two time-consuming sports took its toll.

By the end of 2022 she had decided to concentrate on track and field, having earlier in the year won the under-20 javelin title and finished third in the U20 discus at the national champs.

A change in coach at the start of 2022 also paid dividends as she began to find greater distance with the javelin. Timaru-based Adam Blake made some major alterations to Abbey’s throwing technique and she quickly raised her personal best from 38m to 46m.

In June, 2022 she travelled to Australia for the Oceania champs where she launched her longest-ever throw, sending the spear soaring out to 50.42m, placing her among the finest half dozen throwers this country has produced.

Of the current crop of javelin ex- ponents only national champion Tori Peeters, 28, is ahead of her, having set a NZ record of 62.40m in 2022.

At the 2023 nationals in March Abbey repeat her placings in the U20 javelin and discus, and was second to Peeters in the open javelin.

Abbey acknowledges that there is still a lot of distance to make up if she is to close the gap on Peeters, who finished fifth at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but has high hopes she can do so.

“She is 10 years older than me,” said Abbey, “so I have time on my side.”

She pointed to consistency of training, speed, fitness and constant tweaks to her technique as ways to improve her distance as she sets off for the Stanford experience.

The initial approach to the high-profile US College was made by Abbey’s coach, who has plenty of American contacts, and she quickly warmed to the idea.

“I had thought about going to the States but it wasn’t until I met Adam that I realised it was an option for me. We were both talking to coaches last year in the States, then I went through the application process with Stanford.

“They let me know I had been accepted in October. The throws coach called me early … she actually woke me up and I wasn’t quite with it. Then I thought, this is either very good or very bad. When she said ‘you are in’ I couldn’t really believe it because [Stanford] is such a dream school … it was sort of surreal at the time.”

The Stanford track team is highly-rated, having bagged 132 NCAA titles over the years, and attracts top athletes from all over the planet. The world under-20 women’s discus champion from Sweden will join the team the same time as Abbey, expected to be around mid-September.

“There will be some pressure, and quite a few nerves,” said Abbey, who has never been to the USA before.

Although she won’t know anyone at Stanford, she has been in contact via the internet with other members of the track team and has struck up some friendships, albeit remote at this stage. There is no hesitation when Ab- bey is asked if she sees a future for herself in track and field. “Oh definitely,” she said. “The Comm Games and Olympics are definitely on my radar … the 2028 Olympics would be the goal.” Given they will be staged in Los Angeles, not too distant from Stanford, Abbey is perfectly placed to take her throwing skills to another level.