Andrea Miller Overcomes Injury Hurdle To Win Bronze
National Champion and 100m hurdles record holder Andrea Miller overcame a back injury to win bronze at the World
University Games event in Belgrade, Serbia.
Miller a physiotherapist graduate from the University of Otago took bronze in a time of 13.13seconds behind Nevin Yanit
of Turkey and Sonata Tamosaityte of Lithunia.
Gold medallist Yanit won gold with an impressive time of 12.89seconds nearly half a second faster than her performance
in the semi-finals at the Beijing Olympics in august last year. Tamosaityte of Lithuania dipped out Miller for the
silver in a time of 13.10seconds.
Miller who had been suffering from a back problem leading into the final was close to withdrawing from the race in order
to ensure her health and fitness ahead of next month’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Intensive physiotherapy and acupuncture sessions helped to restore her movement and ease the discomfort she was feeling.
New Zealand team Chef de Mission Dr Lynne Coleman said; “Andrea appeared to be in a lot of pain and had very restrictive
movement through her back. We were not sure if she would be able to make it on to the track and she had to be very
mindful of not aggravating it worse with the Champs in Berlin coming up. The medical team did a great job in giving her
the care and treatment she needed and I’m sure Andrea is pretty pleased with the result...a bronze medal!”
Miller’s time is her third fastest of all time her third fastest performance of all time and first medal at a major
international track meet.
Her bronze completed a full set for the New Zealand team at the track after Team Captain Monique Williams won gold in
the 200m and Stuart Farquhar won silver in the javelin. Brent Newdick won New Zealand’s first medal of the Games in the
decathlon on Thursday.
For a full programme and events schedule for the 2009 world University Games visit www.ub2009.org.
For more information on the Games and International University Sports events visit www.fisu.net
The New Zealand delegation to this event is proudly supported by SPARC – the Governing body for Sport and Recreation in
New Zealand.
ENDS