PHOTO/FILE
ATHLETICS
CHRIS COGDALE
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Evergreen athlete Peter Tearle has returned from the national Masters track and field championships in Timaru with six gold medals and three New Zealand records.
The 93-year-old had previously competed with success in track events, but now focuses solely on the throwing disciplines.
Competing in the 90-plus age group, Tearle won gold medals and set national records in the hammer, shot put and the weight pentathlon – an event that encompasses the hammer, shot put, discus, javelin and weight throw, which is similar to the hammer but with a shorter handle.
He also won gold medals in the javelin, discus and weight throw.
The results continue a remarkable run of achievements for Tearle who came close to death in 2015.
He had to be revived by a defibrillator after a heart attack in Turkey, and a severe bout of pneumonia later left him contemplating a life without physical activity.
