Canterbury sprinter Rosie Elliott has outdipped rival Georgia Hulls to set a new NZ national 200m record at Christchurch's International Track Meet.
Less than an hour after breaking the meet record over 100m, clocking 11.57s, Elliott returned to the track, drawing the lane inside Hull over the longer distance.
Making up the stagger around the bend, the 400m specialist showed her superior strength to edge past her opponents down the straight, prevailing by less than a metre.
Backed by a legal 1.8mps tailwind, Elliott, 25, was attributed with 22.81s, under the previous mark of 22.90s, recorded by Monqiue Williams at the 2009 world athletics championships in Berlin.
NZ and Oceania champion Hulls also beat the old standard with 22.84s.
"It felt really good," said Elliott. "I had a really good bend, which isn't usually my strength, so it felt really nice to come off that bend and still have energy to come home.
"I love racing against all the women - Georgia, in particular, is a fantastic competitor and always a joy to run against. We push each other to the line every time."
Elliott contested the 400m at last year's world championships in Oregon and set a personal best of 52.16s over the one-lap event at Whanganui last month.
Her performance over the half lap suggests she may soon challenge New Zealand's oldest women's national record - Kim Robertson's 51.60s for 400m, set in 1980.
Other highlights of the meet included Tom Walsh's early-season 21.80m shot put victory, while Tiaan Whelpton won the men's 100m by almost half a second in a rapid 10.25s.
