CHAMPION VAULTER PVT OUT TOO EARLY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28484, 14 January 1958, Page 10

CHAMPION VAULTER PVT OUT TOO EARLY

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, January 13. “I hadn’t even started vaulting. I never come in until the bar is at 12ft,” said pole vaulter Mervyn Richards, one of Otago’s Empire Games prospects, today commenting on his being placed third at Ashburton on Saturday when he failed to clear 10ft 6in. Had he not made some effort to get the pole vault under way an hour after the scheduled time of starting, he wondered when it would have been started.

Immediately after competing in the javelin event, Richards crossed to the vaulting pit. There were no officials present and in their absence he discussed with the other vaulters the order in which they would make their attempts. The bar was set at a relatively low height, and while the other vaulters began to make serious attempts Richards began his warm up and other preparations. During these preparations he was getting the “feel” of the approach with a series of “runsthrough.” Unaware of what Richards was doing, an official began taking records of the attempts being made .by all the vaulters, including* Richards.

During his “preparations,” Richards toppled the bar three times and although he did not know it. these were recorded as failures against "him. When the remaining vaulters had eliminated themselves, Richards asked for the bar to be set at 12ft, the height at which he usually begins. This request brought the reply that he was out of the competition as he had failed three times at heights of less than 10ft Bin.

The information was something of a bombshell for Richards. He began to make an explanation and was supported by the other vaulters, but he withdrew his explanation rather than make a fuss. To keep faith with members of the Ashburton club who ' had arranged his appearance, and with the spectators, Richards agreed to give a series of exhibition vaults. He failed with his first attempt at 12ft, cleared the height with his second attempt, cleared 13ft with his first attempt, and 13ft 6in with his next effort. The bar was then placed at 13ft 9in, equal to his New Zealand record, but Richards narrowly missed clearing this height. “This I have learned—never m the future will I set myself to assist the officials. I 4Bfill leave their jobs and concentrate only on my vaulting. Less misunderstandings and dissatisfaction will develop that way,” he said.