Empire Games Team Awaits Equipment

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27405, 19 July 1954, Page 3

Empire Games Team Awaits Equipment

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.- with Team)-

(Rec. 7 p.m.) VANCOUVER, July 17. The chief anxiety among the New Zealanders already settled in the Empire Games village has been the over-delayed arrival of some of their equipment aboard the recently strikebound ship, the Waitomo, from Australia. The latest advice is that the Waitomo, wlpch is bringing the New Zealand rowing four’s boat, some of the cyclists’ equipment and the New Zealand fencing team’s gear, will reach Vancouver on August 2, about a week later than originally expected. At ’one stage the Waitomo was not expected before August 14, but the New Zealand team manager, Mr A. Ross, was informed today she is making up some lost time. Mr Ross, in the midst of settling the team in the Empire village, has been hard at work making substitute arrangements for the team sections concerned and said today he w-as satisfied proper gear would be provided for them all. The four New Zealand fencers who brought some equipment with them have been most unhappy with the foils they have been able to borrow lately, but Mr Ross said he was prepared to buy new gear for them. The fencers’ concern is that they have full time to practice with the equipment they will be using in the Gaines events. The three cyclists already here have been training on machines they have brought with them in the plane. It seems obvious at this stage there is little hope of the boat for the rowing four arriving in time for the Games. The crew is due to arrive with the rest of the New Zealand team about midday tomorrow and Mr Ross has made arrangements for them to use a boat provided by the Vancouver Rowing Club. Arrangements For Boat He said today that if the Vancouver boat does not suit the big New Zealand crew, he had arranged to get another boat brought quickly from Seattle. Meanwhile Games rowing officials are carefully watching day to day water levels on the Veddar Canal, where the rowing events will be held. They consulted the 83-year-old engineer (Mr F. Sinclair), who built the canal in 1923 to drain the Sumas Lake and turn it on to 35,000 acres of farmland. If the water-level falls below 6ft before next Wednesday they will throw an emergency dam across the canal. Dam-building equipment is on the spot ready for an emergency. The rowing course, which is 50 miles from Vancouver, was completed at a most of 60,000 dollars and special facilities include a Royal box where, on the day. of the rowing finals. August 4, the Duke of Edinburgh will make his first appearance at the Games.

The New Zealanders, still shaking off the lethargy brought about by the change to Vancouver’s hoL humid weather and trying to accustom themselves to the vastly different sleeping hours, trained again today. The two most at home are the swimmers, L. Hurring and B. Lucas, who had only a 12-hour journey from the United States. Keeping up a training schedule drawn up for them by their lowa University coach, they had a long training swim this morning.

The New Zealand breaststroke swimmer, Jack Dorns, swam three training half-miles this morning and will have another swim tonight. Jean Stewart is still slightly affected by tonsillitis.

Some of the New Zealand athletes are still finding the change in conditions very trying. One or two have slight stomach sickness and say they are not yet sleeping well. The Olympic champion, Yvette Williams, was again one of the centres of interest for Commonwealth athletes, and a few Canadian spectators at the University Oval, today. She said she was working to the same sort of training plan she had at Helsinki before the Olympics, but here, with four events to prepare for, she is training for two in the morning and for the other two in the afternoon. She trained over hurdles and on cinders with the little Australian champion Gwen Wallace. Miss Williams seems as well adjusted to the Vancouver climate as any visiting woman athletes. She had none of the stomach upset with which the Australian Marjorie Jackson was affected today. Miss Jackson was very sick after a practice 220 yards. Another New Zealand field events competitor who is getting well ahead with his training is the high jumper Peter Wells who cleared 6ft sin at training this morning. His best yesterday was 6ft 4in.

John Landy, who is so besieged by the Canadian press that Games officials moved him out of the Australian section of the camp, told me in a brief interview today that he was looking forward to meeting Murray Halberg when the rest of the New Zealanders arrive tomorrow. Landy, who is immensely popular with the Canadians, said even though he was used to cinder tracks he found the university track surface hard and he thought it would be some time before Halberg became used to it.

He said Halberg would be well advised to train on the softer inner surfaces of the track for the first few days, but as the mile would be on the cinders the sooner he became used to them the better. Landy confirmed that his only Games event will be the mile. Jim Daly, the distance runner, felt the benefiit of the training he did on hard road surfaces in Canterbury when he ran on the cinders today. Daly appears to have recovered completely from the influenza attack which delayed his departure from Wellington last week-end. The team captain, Max Carr, joined the South African representative in hammer throwing practice. All four boxers and the only New Zealand wrestler so far here, Ken’Ruby, had a light workout. The young bantamweight boxer, E. Stockley, has a slight stomach upset and may not be fit to spar for a day or two.

N.Z REPRESENTATIVES LEAVE HALBERG’S FORECAST OF MILE TIME (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 18. There will be no four-minute mile at the Empire Games next month. This is the opinion of M. G. Halberg, the national mile champion, who was a member of the second final section of the New Zealand Empire Games team when it left Whenuapai by Tasman Airways plane on Saturday. Halberg, whose New Zealand record for the mile is 4min 4.4 sec, thinks this is the aproximate time the Canadian race will take. “It won’t be like a record attempt,” he said. “The jockeying and tactical manoeuvres will probably slow up the race.” In recent - training runs, Halberg has recorded 4min 14 sec and 4min lOsec for the mile. When the party of 33 left the aerodrome on Saturday, it was watched by a large crowd. They were given an official farewell by Mr J. L. Squires, representing the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. The assistant manager of the team (Mr P. N. Robinson, of Wellington) was in charge of the departing athletes. Four section managers—Dr. R. E. Austin (bowling), Mr W. A. Stevenson (rowing), Mr A. W. Godder (cycling), and Mr H. L. Towers (athletics)—accompanied the group.

Workmen dismantling old wooden dressing sheds on the site of the new Waikanae Beach pavilion at Gisborne fQund nearly £l5 in small change lying in layers in the sand under the building. Dropped by bathers, the money had slipped through cracks in the floorboards. Some coins on the surface were still in a new state, but others buried three feet deep were hardly recognisable.

PREPARATIONS IN VANCOUVER No Effort Or Expense Spared GREAT MILE DUEL EXPECTED (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) VANCOUVER, July 16. A high-speed track and first-class facilities that are an athlete’s dream await more than 800 competitors from the Commonwealth converging on Vancouver for the British Empire Games opening on July 30. This bustling seaport of 500,000 population has spared no effort or expense to provide the best possible sites for all events. The’ townsfolk fully expect to see record after record broken. The main pride is the new 1,500,000dollar Empire Stadium accommodating 35,000 spectators. It is a huge horse-shoe-shaped arena with the northern end open to give a view of mountains which rise 4000 ft on the opposite side of the harbour. The track circling the field has been raked and rolled to perfection. It is greyish in appearance composed of 55 per cent, cinder and 45 per cent. clay. No events have been started there yet. It awaits the spikes of flying runners after the formal opening on July 30 by the British Minister of Defence (Lord Alexander). Track Claimed to be Fast Local runners have tested it and claim that it is very fast. It is here that the great mile duel between Britain’s Roger Bannister and Australia’s John Landy will be fought on August 7, the final day of the Games. The prospect has attracted a flood of television and newsreel men and reporters from the United States as«well as the Commonwealth. Vancouver is also proud of the new 300,000-dollar swimming pool and the 125,000-dollar cycling track—all built in recent months after the usual local wrangles over the most desirable sites. Hospitable citizens have been taking the keenest interest and special committees have been formed to entertain the various teams. Many outings have been organised, including a visit to the outdoor theatre in the wooded Stanley Park, five minutes from the city’s downtown area.

EMPIRE VILLAGE OPENED MANY FACILITIES FOR ATHLETES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) . VANCOUVER, July 16. i Empire Village, the home away from home for the athletes of the Commonwealth, opened today with a brief flagraising ceremony. Major-General J. P. Mackenzie, camp 1 commandant, welcomed the competing teams to the village, which from now until the end of the British Empire Games on August 7 will house hundreds of athletes, coaches, and officials. The flags of Australia and South Africa were raised by the two team captains alongside the Union Jack, which had been hoisted to represent Southern Rhodesia. The Southern Rhodesian standard had gone to the tailor to be cut down to right size. Flags of other teams will be raised as they arrive. Empire Village is situated in the grounds of the University of British Columbia and overlooks picturesque Howe Sound. Extensive arrangements have been made to entertain the athletes and look after their comfort during their stay there. Television sets and gramophones are available in various recreation centres. Dry-cleaning services have been installed, and a personal "chauffeur service is open to athletes when they require it.

Volunteer guides have been enlisted to show them around Vancouver. The men are housed at Ford Camp, the home of university students during term. The women have been given three modern dormitories. There are three mess rooms which are expected tp serve 50,000 meals to games contestants during the next three weeks.