Tiaan Whelpton
{{Short description|New Zealand athlete}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Tiaan Whelpton
| birth_name =
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = New Zealand
| sport = Athletics
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|3|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Cape Town
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| pb = 60m: 6.50 (2025)
100m: 10.10 (2025)
200m: 21.28 (2021)
Triple J: 14.07m (2019)
|
}}
Tiaan Whelpton (born 29 March 2000) is a track and field athlete from New Zealand who competes as a sprinter. In 2023, he became New Zealand national champion over 100 metres.{{cite web|title=Tiaan Whelpton|accessdate=27 June 2023|website=World Athletics|url= https://worldathletics.org/athletes/new-zealand/tiaan-whelpton-14820394}}
Early life
Born and raised in Cape Town his focus won on rugby union before switching entirely to track and field in his final year of high school in 2018. He moved with his family to Christchurch in 2019.{{cite web|url= https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-sport/fastest-man-nz-christchurch-sprinter-happy-end-springbok-ambitions|website=Otago Times|accessdate=27 June 2023|date= 16 February 2022|title=Fastest man in NZ: Christchurch sprinter happy to end Springbok ambitions}}
Career
In 2019 Whelpton decided to focus on the 100m over the triple jump in which he has also excelled at high school. In 2019 he went on to win the New Zealand national under-20 title.{{cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/461617/new-zealand-sprinter-happy-to-end-springbok-ambitions|first=Barry|last=Guy|title= New Zealand sprinter happy to end Springbok ambitions|date=16 February 2022|accessdate=27 June 2023|website=rnz.co.nz}}{{cite web|url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/300889941/why-tiaan-whelpton-believes-hes-on-the-cusp-of-a-major-100-metres-breakthrough|website=i.stuff.co.nz|accessdate=27 June 2023|title=Why Tiaan Whelpton believes he’s on the cusp of a major 100 metres breakthrough|first=Marc|last= Hinton|date=28 May 2023}} He runs for Christchurch Old Boys United. In January 2022 at the Potts Classic he set a personal best 100m time of 10.18 to equal the New Zealand resident record of Joseph Millar, set in 2017. Whelpton equalled it again at the same event in January 2023.{{cite web|url=https://www.nzsportswire.com/tiaan-whelpton-twice-equals-nz-resident-100m-record/|title= Tiaan Whelpton twice equals NZ resident 100m record|date=24 January 2023|accessdate=27 June 2023|website=nzsportswire.com}}
In March 2023, Whelpton won the 100m title at the 2023 New Zealand Track and Field Championships held in Wellington.{{cite web|url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/485219/sprinter-zoe-hobbs-breaks-11-second-barrier-in-tailwind|website=rnz.co.nz|accessdate=27 June 2023|title= Sprinter Zoe Hobbs breaks 11-second barrier in tailwind|date=3 March 2023}}
In May 2023, racing in Yokohama, he lowered his 100m personal best to 10.14 s (+0.4w).{{cite web|url=https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/300885945/elation-turns-to-determination-as-tiaan-whelpton-seals-spot-at-athletics-world-champs|accessdate=27 June 2023|website=i.stuff.co.nz|title= Elation turns to determination as Tiaan Whelpton seals spot at athletics world champs|first=Marc|last=Hinton|date=22 May 2023}} He equalled that 6 weeks later in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
He represented New Zealand in the 100 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.{{cite web|url=https://athletics.org.nz/the-new-zealand-team-for-the-2023-world-athletics-championships-unveiled/|date=14 April 2023|title=The New Zealand team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships unveiled|accessdate=27 June 2023|website=Athletics.org.nz}}
Whelpton competed in the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres race and ran a seasons best time of 6.67 seconds.{{cite web|website=Watch Athletics|date=1 March 2024|accessdate=2 March 2024|title= Men's 60m Results - World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024|url= https://www.watchathletics.com/page/5132/men-s-60m-results-world-athletics-indoor-championships-2024}}
On 25 January 2025 Whelpton set a new 60m personal best, and 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships qualifying mark, of 6.50 s {{wind|1.}} in finishing second at the ACT Open Athletics championships in Canberra, Australia.https://capitalathleticsresults.com.au/Results/Season2024_25/Championships/U20_Open_Champs/Web/ This time is superior to the indoor New Zealand 60m record of 6.59 s held by Augustine Nketia, but despite media reports to the contrary,{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/olympics/kiwi-sprinter-tiaan-whelpton-eyes-olympics-after-breaking-30yo-record/Y4SJEA7BYJBMLHIRPB53NNVHNA/|title=Kiwi sprinter Tiaan Whelpton eyes Olympics after breaking 30-year-old record|publisher= The New Zealand Herald|date= 26 January 2025|access-date=5 February 2025}} it is not eligible as a New Zealand record as Athletics New Zealand does not recognise the 60m as an outdoor record event, nor does it allow indoor records to be set outdoors. At the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing in March 2025, he reached the semi-finals of the 60 metres after finishing second in his heat in 6.62 seconds.{{cite web|url= https://athletics.org.nz/record-breaking-team-for-2025-world-athletics-indoor-championships-in-nanjing-announced/|website=Athletics.org|accessdate=13 March 2025|title= Record-Breaking Team for 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing Announced|date=March 12, 2025}}{{cite web|url= https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/03/21/whelpton-qualifies-for-world-indoor-athletics-championships-60m-semifinal/ |website=1News|date=21 March 2025|accessdate=21 March 2025|title= Whelpton qualifies for world indoor athletics championships 60m semifinal
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 100 m men}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Whelpton, Tiaan}}
Category:Athletes from Cape Town
Category:Athletes from Christchurch
Category:New Zealand male sprinters
Category:South African expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand
Category:South African male sprinters
Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners