Kiwi sprinter Zoe Hobbs is set to be the first female New Zealander to compete in the 100m at the Olympic Games in nearly 50 years.
In what is set to be her first Olympic Games, Hobbs is looking to build on her personal best time of 10.96 seconds which she achieved in Switzerland last year to qualify for the Paris Games.
26-year-old Hobbs is the fastest Kiwi woman in New Zealand history and said it’s a privilege to be competing in an event as significant as the 100 metres.
“It’s been a number of years since we’ve had a woman compete in the 100m in the Olympic Games for New Zealand so it's really special and I'm looking forward to it,” Hobbs told Breakfast this morning.
Hobbs is looking forward to immersing herself in her first Olympic Games, including her first time experiencing the Olympic Village.
“I think it's important to block out the noise, the village experience will be new to me so I need to go through my processes,” Hobbs said.
The Taranaki-born sprinter leaves in June to compete in some competitions in Europe as preparation before she heads to Paris. The games start in 100 days.
"I'm still learning against competition, having competition next to me and in front of me, trying to maintain and compose myself under pressure, so the more exposure I get to that, the better I get," said Hobbs.
Sue Jowett in 1976 was the last female Kiwi sprinter to qualify for the Olympics.
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