ATHLETES FOR GAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27978, 26 May 1956, Page 3

ATHLETES FOR GAMES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

= T must have seemed an almost interminable -n P ei ’i°d suspense for athletes with Olympic claims will end on June 5 with the announcement of the athletic: nominations of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Athletes waiting to plan their winter training must have been wondering .-as many others were—about this apparently tardy attitude by the national selectors, Messrs H. L. Towers, and J. \V. Holley, and the national administrators in Wellington. Surely the task of choosing New Zealand’s athletes for Melbourne was not so difficult that a delay of more than two months was warranted.

The results of some events at the New Zealand championships at Lancaster Park must have added to the selectors’ difficulties. At the present time the country has its finest crop of junior athletes, some who had performances better than the best seniors last season.

Then there are seniors such as M. D. Richards (pole valult) and M. Hahn (javelin) who are the best athletes at their events the country has had. Although these men are still short of the top world class it is felt in some quarters that the younger athletes would gain valuable competitive experience while others, particularly Richards, who already coaches some outstanding athletes, would gain knowledge that would be passed on to many others.

Neither the New Zealand association nor the selectors, however, has given any indication that there will be any change from the previous basis of selection, which was a reasonable chance of reaching a final. With this in mind the performances of leading New Zealand athletes must be considered in a coldly rational and statistical manner by comparison with current world performances—and not with results of previous Olympic Games, as is frequently done, for standards have improved immensely in the intervening years. The latest comparison that can be made is for New Zealand performances for last season (1955-56) with world performances of 1955—and even then allowance must be made for possibly improved performances by northern hemisphere athletes in their efforts to gain Olympic selection during their season, which is now only beginning. The marathon and the road walks are events where this direct comparison is

not applicable, for the nature of the courses varies so greatly. When assessed on this basis, New Zealand’s number one athlete with a chance of Olympic success is Canterbury’s Miss Valerie Sloper. Her 46ft 7£in would have given her fifteenth ranking last year. Included among those ahead of her are seven Russians and four Germans. As each country is limited to three entries for an event her ranking improves considerably., Don Jowett, on his 1954-55 quartermile time converted to metres and with the rankings adjusted lies in eighth position but last season he was twice beaten by P. E. Smith, his Otago team-mate. Smith would rate thirtyeighth in the world with seven others on his national championship run. By deleting 16 additional Americans he rises to 22.

Generally considered New Zealand’s best Olympic prospect. Murray Halberg (4min I.Bsec) would have been seventh

equal on the mile list and Noel Scott ninth. Both suffer when their times are converted to the Olympic distance of 1500 metres. Halberg slips to thirteenth and Scott to sixteenth. Halberg and Scott would probably show improved placings for the 1500 metres—almost 120 yards short of the mile—had they raced this distance instead of the mile. The disqualification of Wes Santee does not aid them either, for he was listed as sixteenth in the metres on a time taken during a mile run, although his converted best mile time would have given him higher ranking. Then Landy’s return pushes them down another place. Bill Baillie’s 4min 3.6 sec would earn him fourteenth place for the mile. Halberg shows a slight improvement for the three miles and 5000 metres, where he ranks seventh and eleventh (adjusted) respectively. H. L. Rodger’s 28min 53.8 sec would class him as the ninth six-miler in the world. He is adversely affected also when his time is converted to the metric equivalent, which is more popular with the Europeans. His adjusted position is twentieth.

New Zealand’s women athletes fare relatively better than the men. After Miss Sloper comes Miss M. Stuart of Hastings whose adjusted ranking for her 11.2 sec for the 80 metres hurdles would gain ninth place equal. Sixteen-vear-old Mary Donaghy would rank eighth equal in the high jump with two others and Miss J. Crotty’s /Waikato) adjusted rankings for both the 100 and 200 metres would be thirteenth equal. Twenty-seven women, including 14 Russians and five Germans. last year long jumped further than 19ft 2sin. Miss B. Weigel was New Zealand’s best with 19ft 2Jin. In the discus 26 women bettered 150 ft Bin and in the javelin 25 exceeded 153 ft Sin. 11 Russians being included in both lists. Easily the best man sprinter New Zealand has had, M. L. Rae. shows the comparative weakness of sprinting here His national 100 yards record of 9.7 see —equivalent to a 10.6 sec for 100 metres —ranks him forty-sixth equal with 47 others and for the 220 yards he is twenty-fifth with seven others. His adjusted ratings are twenty-eighth and fourteenth.