Jim Bailey Beats John Landy In Sensational 3min 58.6sec Mile

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27961, 7 May 1956, Page 18

Jim Bailey Beats John Landy In Sensational 3min 58.6sec Mile

ATHLETICS

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LOS ANGELES. May 5. Jim Bailey, of Australia, caused the biggest upset in modern athletics history when he beat the world record holder, John Landy. in the sensational time of 3min 58.6 sec in a mile race today. The two Australians battled it out over the last 300 yards and Landy crossed the line less than two yards behind Bailey in 3min 58.7 sec.

Bailey raced over the final lap in 55.5 sec—the fastest finish ever recorded in an under four-minute mile. Bailey set a United States record and for the first time, two men broke 3min 59sec in the one race. His time equalled two of Landy’s runs in Melbourne in January and April this year, and was only six-tenths of a second outside Landy‘s world record. The estimated crowd of 50,000 roared with excitement as Bailey nut ir his stirrin® bid in the last nuartermile. drew level with Landv with about 150 yards to so and the pair battled it out down the straight. Once Eailey hit the front. Landy could make no impression on him. Bailey, a 26-vear-old student at the University of Oregon, had been beaten by Landy in four one-mile races in Australia up to 1954. His previous best time was 4min s.6sec. when he won the National Collegiate mile title last year. His best this year was onlv 4min lOsec. Landv ran the fifth mile under 4min in his last six starts.

Ron Delany Third Ron Delany. the 20-year-old Irishman. took third place some 35 yards behind the two Australians. His time was 4min s.6sec. The rest of the field of seven were a long way back. Bailey lowered Wes Santee’s American record of 4min ,ssec by I.9sec. Bailey is not expected to be available for Landy’s second American race at Fresno on May 12. A University of Oregon spokesman said that he was needed for a collegiate meeting on that date. Both Bailey and Landy looked extraordinarily fresh at the finish. Neither staggered or fell and moved quickly on to the grass and walked easily. Landy congratulated the jubilant Bailey. The first lap was covered in 59.65ec with Delany leading Landy by about eight yards and Bailey close behind in third place. Landy led at the half mile in 2min 2.3 sec. having run the second quarter in 61.7 sec. Landy still led at the three-quarter mile mark in 3min I.ssec. The fourth place went to Bill Dellinger. a team-mate of Bailey’s at Oregon, in 4min B.Bsec. Jerome Walters, a Los Angeles negro, was fifth in 4min 9.3 sec. Danny Schweikart. also of Los Angeles, was sixth in 4min 12.1 sec.

The world half-mile record holder, Lon Spurrier, was last in 4min 15.8 sec. "Could Beat Me Again" Landy. interviewed nearly an hour after the race, said: "The way Bailey ran. he could probably beat me again. I ran a nice race, but I wasn’t good enough. "I thought I was going to catch him in the stretch, but my legs didn't respond—he was too good. "About the 1500-metre mark, he hit me on the seat of my pants and said something like ’let’s go.’ “I may have overlooked Bailey in the race—l was watching Delany. I knew I had Delany beaten at the quarter when he had gone all out to take the lead, and I knew he could not have any kick for the finish—Delany was too nervous. “I don’t have a temperament of a race winner— l just like to run fast. Bailey is the kind of fellow who once or twice can set himself to anything and beat anyone.” said Landy. Bailey, grinning from ear to ear. said after the race: “I never thought I could beat Landy. I hoped to be a good second, within 15 yards of him. and maybe with luck I could come in under four minutes. “At the 1500 metres mark. I slapped him on the seat of the pants and yelled: ‘Go.’ I was just trying to make him run faster —I still had no thoughts of beating him. I could hardly realise I actually got ahead of him. and I wasn’t conscious of the margin I beat him by,” said Bailey. Training Before Race Bailey said he thought Landy looked too thin and did too much training before the race. Landy worked out for an hour shortly before he came to the coliseum, doing 100 yard sprints and jogging for a total of more than five miles. “All I did was jog a half mile on Thursday night and another half mile on Friday night.” said Bailey. “At 10 o'clock this morning I ate a big Australian breakfast of steak and eggs.” Bailey said he would return to his home in Sydney in September to prepare for the Olympic Games.