Toni Hodgkinson

Toni Louise Hodgkinson (born 12 December 1971) is a former New Zealand middle distance runner, originally from Takaka. She currently holds the New Zealand woman's record in the 800 m.

As a student at Golden Bay High School, Toni set many New Zealand track and field age-best times, several of which still stand, including 1500 m in 4:29:50 at 13 and 2:04.31 at 17.^[1]

She is 180 cm tall and in her competing days, weighed 62 kg.^[2]

She represented New Zealand at both the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. At the 1996 Summer Olympics she made the final, placing 8th with a time of 2:00:54. At the 2000 Summer Olympics she competed in both the 800 m and 1500 m, making it through to the semi finals in the 800m with a time of 1:59:84.^[3]

Toni competed at the 1990 Commonwealth Games as an 18 year old, and again at the 1998 Commonwealth Games where she finished 8th in the 1500m final.^[4]

Both of Toni's main events are Olympic sports that have not always had woman competitors. The 800m was initially introduced with other woman’s track and field events in the 1928 Amsterdam Games, but so many collapsed at the end of the race that it was banned until 1960.^[5] The 1500m was not introduced until 1972 but has been included at every Games since.^[6]

In 1997 Toni was a finalist for the Halberg New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year, an honor bestowed upon New Zealand's greatest athletes.^[7]

After a decade of living in Auckland, Toni now lives in Motueka with her husband Alistair Smart and her children.^[8] In 2009, Toni competed for the Motueka Marvels in the TVNZ game show series Top Town. The Motueka Marvels made it into the finals as the Wild Card team and lost to Taupo in the semi-final.^[9]

Personal Bests

Outdoor:

Indoor:

^[7]

References