by Symone Tafuna'i
Imogen Ayris in action at the Commonwealth Games Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Pole vaulter Imogen Ayris is confident of confirming her spot on the national team for the World Athletics later this year.
The Aucklander was last month 'conditionally' selected meaning she will need to jump slightly higher than her current personal best of 4.51m to make sure of her place in Budapest in August.
The 22-year-old has already had a lenghty sporting career.
The three-time national senior champion was previously a gymnast who represented New Zealand at a Trans-Tasman international at the age of 12 years old.
At the same time she was running track for Takapuna Athletics.
She found the transition to pole vault very natural as she was "comfortable being upside down".
"I didn't have to learn all of that body awareness in space type thing which can be difficult to pick up if you're not use to it".
It all came together in 2022 with selection for the World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Unfortunately the World Championships didn't go so well as she failed to reach the qualifying mark of 4.20m to progress to the next round.
"There was just a disconnect between my mind and my legs. I think maybe I was quite overwhelmed and stressed," she told RNZ.
"The most frustrating thing was that I knew I was in good form so to bomb out in the first round at Worlds was confusing to me."
However, with the Commonwealth Games around the corner Ayris said she needed to prove to everyone and especially herself she was capable of a lot more.
"Once I was out there [at the Commonwealth Games] and cleared my first height. I was having the time of my life", she says.
The 22-year-old was very emotional after a few stressful weeks leading up to the games but after she had secured a podium finished, "I started crying and I hadn't even finished my competing by that point".
She won the bronze medal with a height of 4.45m.
Imogen Ayris with her bronze medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Photo: PHOTOSPORT
This year, the 22-year-old finished third at the New Zealand National Championships behind Oliva McTaggart and Eliza McCartney who took out her first national title in 6 years.
Ayris says it's been exciting to grow up and compete alongside McTaggart and McCartney.
"Obviously Eliza is a bit older but to be able to grow up and see her progression and now we are up there competing at these comps with her it's pretty special."
"Last year when Livvi and I were at worlds it was the first time New Zealand has two female pole vaulters and this year hopefully we are going to have three."
McTaggart and McCartney have already achieved qualifying standards.
Ayris is about to base herself in Britain while she prepares for the lead up to World Athletics Championships in August.
She has five competitions lined up before pre-camp for Worlds and is confident "that should be enough to solidify my selection", Ayris says.
In the longer term Ayris has her eyes set on the Paris Olympic qualification mark of 4.73m, her personal best is 4.51m.
Ayris will also be graduating with a Bachelor of Science majoring in exercise science but will take a break from her studies to focus on the Olympics.
"I've been studying for a long time now so I am pretty excited to be 'Imo'[Imogen] the person in 2024 as well as 'Imo'[Imogen] the athlete".
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