INVITATION TO JOHN LANDY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27408, 22 July 1954, Page 12

INVITATION TO JOHN LANDY

TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND POSSIBLE

The world’s fastest miler, John Landy, may be seen on New Zealand athletic tracks next summer. At a meeting of the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association last evening, the president (Flight Lieutenant" E. Lunn) reported that the New Zealand association had issued an invitation to the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia, and this had been forwarded on to Landy, as the union was uncertain when he would be returning to Australia. Arrangements have now been made for Mr H. L. Towers, the sectional manager of the New Zealand athletic team at the Empire Games, to discuss the matter with Landy while in Vancouver “That 400 yards and half-mile and mile races for women be included as official championship events at the Canterbury junior and women’s championships” is a remit from the executive to the annual meeting of the centre, which will be held on Monday, September 27. A further recommendation advocates the introduction of a 4 x 110 yards relay and a 4 x 440 yards relay at the New Zealand championships in place of the present mil* medley relay run in stages of 440, 220. 220 and 880 yards. Monday, August 30, was fixed as the closing date for remits.

The secretary (Mr G. Towart) said that the Canterbury athletes at the Empire Games would compete in then* events on the following dates:—P. Wells, high jump, Saturday, July 31; J. Daly, three miles, Tuesday, August 3, and mile heats, Thursday, August 5; Miss J. Blackburn, long jump, Saturday, August 7.

After a report from Mr Fowler to the New Zealand association, approval has been given to a type of photofinish used at the last New Zealand junior and women’s championships at Dunedin. Thia is the only type of photo-finish to have the approval of the association, and is essentially a slow motion camera arranged at right angles to the finishing line.