WORLD RECORD LIKELY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28531, 10 March 1958, Page 10

WORLD RECORD LIKELY

Miss Chamberlain’s 440 Yards Time The world record-holder of the women’s 440 yards for a brief spell, Miss Marise Chamberlain, who is the New Zealand -..omen’s 220 yards title and record holder, ran 440 yards at a club athletic meeting at Rugby Park on Saturday in 56.1 sec—a time which will probably be recognised as a world record. Last season Miss Chamberlain’s best time for 440 yards was 56.9 sec, and this was subsequently recognised as a world record. Shortly after official recognition of the record was received, however, Nancy Boyle, of Australia, lowered the world time by ,6sec to 56.35ec.

Miss Chamberlain has trained this year for the shorter distances with a view to Empire Games selection. There is no women’s 440 yards event at the Empire Games.

On Saturday Miss Chamberlain ran from an outside lane, and did not have the advantage of a pacemaker. In fact, she saw no other competitor until she had passed the winning post. Official recognition of her time is likely. It could only be disallowed on the ground that the course did not conform to the correct distance. There was no wind assistance. The lane in which she ran will have to be surveyed by Canterbury officials, but this should be found to be true, for the 440 yards course, when surveyed earlier in the season, was correct.