22 Jun 2012

7am sports heads

7:19 am on 22 June 2012

The fastest qualifier for Rally New Zealand, Jari-Matti Latvala has chosen to start last of the 13 world championship cars in today's opening stages in western Waikato.

The rally starts at 8.30 this morning and Latvala, the 2010 winner, is hoping the dozen cars ahead of him will sweep the roads clear.

The New York-based New Zealand middle distance runner Lucy Van Dalen has comfortably achieved an Olympic A-qualifying time for the 1500 metres in San Diego, with a New Zealand record time of 4 minutes 5.76 seconds.

The former Hurricanes number eight Thomas Waldrom has been selected in England's starting 15 for the first time, for their third test against South Africa this weekend in Port Elizabeth.