Four years ago, Zoe Hobbs’ goal was simply to make the 100m final at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
“If I was to come eighth, I would have been happy,” laughs the Oceania recordholder.
Fast forward to Glasgow 2026 and her expectations are markedly different.
After finishing sixth across the line in Birmingham in 11.19s – later upgraded to fifth following a doping disqualification – Hobbs heads into her second Commonwealth Games next month believing a medal is within reach.
“I see it as a realistic goal to get a medal, but it really depends on who shows up in Glasgow,” the 28-year-old says.
The shift in expectation reflects just how far Hobbs has come.
Four years after her wider New Zealand team debut, she not only has a wealth of major championship experience under her belt, but she’s developed into a seasoned professional confident in her craft.
Overnight, she secured her second podium finish of her European season, finishing second at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting in the Czech Republic, in 11.12s.
Milliseconds matter in the 100m and are notoriously difficult to find.
“The biggest shift I’ve seen in Zoe over the last four years has been in her professionalism and confidence,” says her long-time coach and former Commonwealth Games representative, James Mortimer. “Zoe has come a long way.”
That growth has been evident on the world stage. In Glasgow two years ago, Hobbs finished fourth in the 60m at the world indoor championships – missing the podium by just 0.01s.
It is a long way from the five-year-old girl who started at the Eltham Athletics Club in Taranaki.
In her first European race of the season a week ago, Hobbs claimed a podium finish at the Oslo Diamond League, running 11.03s in cold conditions – so cold she raced in full-length tights. The performance followed her Oceania title and championship record run of 11.00s in Darwin in May.
Touch-and-go buildup
However, getting to the start line in Oslo was far from straightforward.
“I didn’t arrive in Europe in the best shape and had to pull out of the Rabat Diamond League,” says Hobbs. “I only had my first full-speed session the day before Oslo, so it was very touch and go.”
Mortimer will join Hobbs in Europe next week as preparations ramp up for Glasgow, with several World Athletics silver meets planned before round one of the Commonwealth Games 100m on July 27.
While Hobbs’ confidence has grown, so too has the challenge awaiting her.
The Commonwealth Games sprint field is traditionally one of the deepest outside the Olympic Games and world championships.
Among those expected to feature are Olympic champion Julien Alfred, of Saint Lucia, who claimed silver in Birmingham in 2022 and will be looking to go one better, alongside the sprinting powerhouse of Jamaica and the British contingent led by national recordholder Dina Asher-Smith.
Yet the unique timing of the Commonwealth Games means not every athlete at the top of the world rankings will be on the startline. Some will prioritise the lucrative Diamond League circuit, while others will keep their powder dry ahead of the European championships starting just over a week later.
Mortimer believes his athlete belongs in the conversation. “This year it’s not just about making the final,” he says. “It’s about disrupting the form guide and competing for a podium finish.”
Benchmark tougher than Paris
The high standard across the Commonwealth continues to influence Athletics New Zealand’s nomination criteria.
Athletes were required to achieve either an A standard of 11.00s once or a B standard of 11.07s twice. Hobbs had the luxury of securing her qualification early, running a personal best and Oceania record of 10.94s in Ostrava last year before the nomination criteria were even released.
For comparison, the Birmingham 2022 standards were 11.10s and 11.15s respectively.
“I’m really proud to make this team because it’s not been an easy team to make,” says Hobbs. “The qualifying standards by definition were harder than the Olympic Games.”
The comment carries weight from an athlete who reached the semifinals in her Olympic debut in Paris, finishing 14th overall.
The 21-strong athletics team heading to Glasgow is heavily weighted towards field events – something Hobbs admits has been noticeable.
“I can only speak for sprinting, but it would have been cool to see my teammate Tiaan Whelpton [100m NZ resident recordholder) make the team because he’s very deserving to be there,” she says. “Unfortunately, the standards are extremely tough.”
What excites her most is the diversity of the team selected. “Every event group is represented and there’s a really good mix of experience,” Hobbs says.
Where once she was the newcomer finding her feet in a major team environment, Hobbs now finds herself among the leaders.
“I feel like a senior veteran of the team now,” she laughs on the phone from the Czech Republic.
It is a maturity Mortimer says extends well beyond the track.
“What I’m most proud of is the strong woman Zoe is becoming,” he says. “She stands firm in what she believes in and continually challenges us as her team to ensure she can be the best athlete possible.”
Hobbs is equally excited for those experiencing their first Games.
“The Commonwealth Games are so much fun. I can’t wait for the newbies to experience being part of a New Zealand team,” she says.
This edition of the Games, however, will look a little different. After Glasgow was awarded hosting rights following Victoria’s withdrawal, athletes will be housed in hotels rather than a traditional athletes’ village.
Having experienced village life before at both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, Hobbs believes the streamlined set-up may actually enhance performance.
“We’ve simulated this so many times on the European circuit,” she says. “There will be less noise and chaos.”
For an athlete who once would have been thrilled simply to make the final, the focus now is clear.
A medal is firmly within sight. “I can’t wait.”
NZ Team — Athletics | Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
Women: Imogen Ayris, Eliza McCartney, Olivia McTaggart – Pole Vault
Lauren Bruce – Hammer Throw
Anna Grimaldi – 100m T47
Zoe Hobbs – 100m
Briana Stephenson, Maddie Wilson – Heptathlon
Tori Moorby – Javelin
Men: Max Attwell – Decathlon; Anthony Barmes – Hammer Throw; Geordie Beamish – 3000m Steeplechase (and possibly one mile); Jacko Gill, Nick Palmer, Tom Walsh – Shot Put; Ethan Olivier – Triple Jump; Hamish Kerr – High Jump; James Preston – 800m; Nick Southgate, James Steyn – Pole Vault; Sam Tanner – One Mile
