ATHLETICS DECATHLON TITLE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28234, 23 March 1957, Page 2

ATHLETICS DECATHLON TITLE

Roy Williams Leads

Although 147 points down on last year, Roy Williams (Auckland), with 3407 points, had a 100point lead on A. G. Lawless (Waikato), when the first section of the New Zealand decathlon championship was decided at Rugby Park yesterday afternoon. x

A cold easterly wind and a dead track were against fast times in the two track events — the 100 and 400 metres —but several competitors improved on their previous decathlon performances in other events. Williams did so in the long jump and the shot put, where he had performances of 22ft lain and 41/t 6£in respectively. Lawless is in a comparatively better position than he was last year, when he was trailing by 221 points, and this is largely accounted for by best performances in the shot, long jump and high jump, which he won at sft Bsin. The Otago entrant, L. Amor, is third with 3005 points, 300 better than his previous best figures. His long jump of 20ft 31 in was two feet better than his previous best, and his 400-metre time of 51.7 sec was also a personal record. The high jump was a surprise, and A. Harbott (Canterbury), who has jumped more than 6ft, and was third at the national championships at Napier, was relegated to fifth place after clearing only sft 51 in. Both Harbott and Ross Williams (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay) had bad days and were down on their previous performances in every event. There was some discussion about IQO metres in which Roy Williams was credited with the fastest time although he clearly finished behind D. B. Masters (Canterbury) in the firs 1 , heat: The remaining five events will be decided in conjunction with the inter-club meeting this afternoon. Placings after the first five events are:— Roy Williams (Auckland), 3407, 1; A. G. Lawless (Waikato), 3307, 2; .L. Amor (Otago), 3005, 3; D. B. Masters (Canterbury), 2950, 4; Ross Williams (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), 2784, 5; R. Ball (Canterbury), 2752, 6; A. Harbott (Canterbury), 2380, 7. Results:— 100 Metres.—Roy Williams, 11.5 sec. 736 points, 1; Amor, Masters, and Lawless (equal), 11.6 sec, 706, 2; Ross Williams, 12.1 sec, 574, 5; Harbott. 12.4 sec, 505. 6; Ball. 12.6 sec, 464, 7. Long Jump.—Roy Williams. 22ft ljin, 707 points. 1; Masters, 20ft 4in, 560. 2: Amor and Ross Williams. 20ft 3Jin, 557 (equal), 3: Lawless. 20ft 14in. 542, 5: Ball. 19ft, 463, 6: Harbott. 18ft 9Jin, 460. 7. Shot.—Bali. 44ft 6Jin, 725 points, 1; Roy Williams. 41ft 6?in, 641. 2; Lawless. 40ft IQJin, 622, 3: Amor, 34ft 74in. 464. 4: Harbott, 33ft lOJin. 446, 5: Ross Williams, 31ft 24in, 386, 6; Masters, 28ft 7in, 330, 7.

High Jump.—Lawless. sft BJin, 700 points. 1; Ross Williams, sft 74in, 667, 2; Roy Williams and Masters, sft 6Jin, 645 (equal), 3; Harbott, sft sJin, 615, 5; Amor and Ball, sft 3in, 555 (equal). 6. 400 Metres.—Lawless, 51.5 sec, 737 points, 1: Amor. 51.7 sec. 723, 2; Masters, 51.9 sec, 709, 3; Roy Williams, 52.45ec, 678, 4: Ross Williams, 53.75ec, 600, 5; Ball, 54.75ec, 545, 6; Harbott, 58.7 sec, 364. 7.