OLYMPIC GAMES ENTRIES

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26726, 9 May 1952, Page 7

OLYMPIC GAMES ENTRIES

WOMEN’S DISCUS AND SHOT PUT MISS WILLIAMS LIKELY TO COMPETE (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 6. Miss Yvette Williams, of Otago, will compete in both the shot put and discus throw at the Helsinki Olympic Games If the New Zealand Olympic Association approves a recommendation by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. The Athletic Association to-night decided to rescind Its resolution to restrict Miss Williams to the broad jump event, and agreed to allow her to compete in all three events. The chairman (Mr H. I. Austad) said he regarded the' decision as a change in policy. It should mean that the New Zealand hurdles representative, J. M. Holland, should be permitted to compete in the 110 metres hurdles, as well as the 400 metres, for which he had been already entered. To enable discussion to be opened on the matter,' the standing orders were suspended. An appeal for the rescinding of the association’s original resolution was made in a letter from Miss Williams. Representations on her behalf were also made by the Otago, Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay, Auckland and Canterbury centres of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. In her letter, Miss Williams said: “If given the opportunity of contesting in my three specialty events at Helsinki, I know that this will improve both my confidence and performance in the broad jump. The discus throw would afford me the valuable chance of a preliminary trial on the stadium three days before my main event. The shot put comes three days later, where nothing is at stake, but a chance to gain experience, which I may be able to put to use later in coaching.” Moving that the association rescind the earlier resolution, Mr M, Watterson said the association should be guided by the personal desires of Miss Williams. Mr G. S. Leeder, seconding the motion, said that any athlete who had the chance of reaching the finals of the Olympic Games should be given the opportunity to compete. The qualifying trials held at the Games for the discus set 118 feet as the qualifying mark. Because Miss Williams had thrown the discus more than 130 feet on several occasions, she should be given the opportunity of competing. The chairman said that the association had been guided by the selectors, who had nominated Miss Williams for only one event. Fourteen better performances than Miss Williams’s had been recorded in women’s discus throwing in the last year. Seven of these performances were bv Russians. One had recorded more than 175 feet. Miss Williams's best throw was a little more than 134 feet. "It appears likely," continued Mr Austad. “that there will be at least nine competitors who have thrown further than Miss Williams." So far as the shot put was concerned, said Mr Austad, Miss Williams’s most "recent effort of 42 feet placed her about sixth in the world. “However, the executive has considered the matter, and as Miss Williams is going to the Games, we may depart from our policy and allow her to enter," he added. ; The motion was carried unanimously.