PRE-OLYMPIC MEETING

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28129, 19 November 1956, Page 18

PRE-OLYMPIC MEETING

Records Set At Bendigo

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 9 p.m.) BENDIGO. Nov. 18. Jack Davis, the United States Olympic champion, yesterday set a new world record of 13.3 sec in winning the 120 yards hurdles at an international pre-Olympic Games meeting. Davis beat his old record by one tenth of a second. Officials of the Victoria Amateur Athletic Association later measured the grass track and found it correct and an application for international recognition of the new time will be made. American athletes dominated the meeting, winning seven of the 21 events—the 100 yards, the 220 yards the 120 yards hurdles, two half mile races, the high jump and the 440 yards relay. They set Australian records in each of these events. Many nations, including Russia, did not compete. Leamon King, one of the four leading American sprinters in Australia for the Games, equalled the world record of 9.3 sec in winning the 100 yards, but was assisted by a following wind and. therefore, the time will not be recorded. The world record is held by a number of runners. Gordon Pirie, of Britain, the world 5000 metres record holder, won the two miles in Bmin 51.2 sec, with Bill Dellinger, of the United States, second, and Nyandvka. of Kenva, third. Neville Price, the South African long jump champion, won the long lump. Price jumped 24ft 9in to beat Ram Meher. of India, who jumoed 23ft lOJin. J. W. Porrasalmi, of Finland, was third with 23ft 9i'in. Morrow Wins 220 Yards Bobby Morrow, the American 200 metres champion, won the 220 yards in 20.9 sec. beating the previous best of the Jamaican. Herb McKinley, by a tenth of a second. Five other Australian records were beaten during the afternoon, in spite of the condition of the somewhat rough and moist grass track. Arnie Sowell, the American negro middle distance runner, clocked Imin 49.35ec for the 880 yards to beat John Landy’s record by more than a second. Sowell won comfortably by four or five yards from the Norwegian champion. Audun Boysen. In another international half mile. Lon Spurrier, of the United States, the world record holder for the distance. recorded Imin 53sec. Charlie Dumas, of the United States, who holds the world high jump record, jumped 6ft 9in, and another of the American world record holders. Parry O’Brien, beat his own Australian allcomers shot put record with a throw of 60ft 8 5-Bin. The United States 440 yards relay team recorded 41.5 sec to win the event in a new Australian time, but the baton changing of the team —Murchison, King. Morrow and Stanfield—was far from good and they were nearly disqualified. Victories went to European competitors in the javelin and pole vault. Eigel Danielsen. of Norway, won the javelin throw with 234 ft Ilin, and Eeles Landstroem. of Finland, won the pole vault with 14ft Bin. Nil Mohinder Singh, of India, cleared 50ft s.?in in the hop, step and jump, beating Ted Davis, of the United States, whose best effort was 49ft 5-Jin. Ron Clarke, the world junior record holder, scored a popular victory for Australia in the mile, which he won comfortably in 4min 10.2 sec, leading nearly all the way. Sowell, the half-mile winner, trailed him throughout, but returned his fastest time for this distance with 4min 15sec. The biggest cheer of the day was for the gallant Kenyan. Anentia Arere. the 25-yenr-old tribal policeman. who won the last event of the meeting, the six miles, in 30min 21.3 sec. Arere fought it out with the United States 10.000 metre runner. Dick Hart, over the last lap and the crowd rose to their feet cheering and clapping as Arere won by nine yards.