NEW “MIRACLE MILER”

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27962, 8 May 1956, Page 14

NEW “MIRACLE MILER”

ATHLETICS

BAILEY HOPES FOR FASTER TIMES -“ WILL BEAT LANDY AGAIN ” (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, May 6. Jim Bailey, Australia’s newest “miracle miler,” said today that he would be able to run still faster times and beat John Landy again. Bailey, aged 26, is a changed man since he outran Landy yesterday and beat him in 3min 58.6 sec. Confident, and no longer considering himself something of a ‘‘nohoper,” Bailey will return to his home in Hurstville. Sydney, in September to seek a place in the Australian Olympic team for the 1500 metres.. He wants to meet—and beat—Landy in the Olympic trials. “Everybody’s potential is better than their performance, no matter who they are, and I can run faster again,” Bailey said. “I don’t believe 3min 56sec would feel much different from 3min 58sec at the finish if you are determined. “But I have got to have someone I want to beat. Yesterday I was staked out to beat Ron Delaney, the Irish boy, and may be a few minutes before the race I got the idea of beating Landy, too.” This evening Landy was leaving for San Francisco to prepare for his second American appearance at Fresno next Saturday and Bailey flew back to Eugene (Oregon!, where he is a student at the University of Oregon Bailey- admitted today that he had always liked to “clown about” in mile races and said that he knew 10 yards before he overtook Landy in yesterday’s race that he was going to slap the champion on the seat of the pants as he drew level. Bailey rates Landy as the world’s greatest miler. “I saw some movie films of our race last night and Landy was simply terrific,” Bailey said. “His whole action was beautiful, and by comparison I was just rearing along, thrashing with my upper arms. He is the greatest, all right, but now that I know how to run four minutes I am going to beat him again.”