Many Athletes In Line For Games Selection

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28536, 15 March 1958, Page 5

Many Athletes In Line For Games Selection

yyiTH the New Zealand athletic championships over and the season nearing the end, the national athletic selectors (Messrs H. L. Towers and J. H. Borland) will be comparing the performances of the best athletes in New Zealand with others in the Empire. The standard of performance in New Zealand continued its upward trend and some athletes who would be capable of competing at the Empire Games without being disgraced, may have to be excluded from the team because of the many others with higher Empire .rankings.

Undoubtedly Miss Valerie Sloper must be first choice from athletes for her performances with the shot are far superior to any other woirifen in the Empire. She is also one of the best discus throwers. Miss B. Weigel (long jump and 100 yards) and Miss M. Donaghy (high jump) are two others who are almost certainties through their performances at the Melbourne Olympics and since. Miss Weigel is joint holder of the official New Zealand women’s 100 yards record ot 10.9 sec with the former Olympic champion, M. Jackson, and Betty Cuthbert, second at the last Olympics. Sprinters Misses M. Stuart, M. A. M. Chamberlain, A. Brown and N. Singer are four others who will receive consideration. All are excellent sprinters and the selection of three of them would complete a relay team with Miss Weigel. Stuart and Brain are excellent hurdlers as well as sprinters and Miss Chamberlain has excellent performances through to the quarter-mile, in whicn she set a world record last week. Unfortunately for her this distance is not on the Empire Games programme. Miss Singer is outstanding at the 75 yards but has not the versatility of the other three. Because of Miss Sloper’s dual

ability, Miss J. Thompson the national discus throw record holder may be left out, fine young athlete though she is. At the national titles M. L. Rae improved on the performance that gained him Olympic selection. His 220 yards time of 20.9 sec gives him first ranking in the Empire according *to world ranking lists compiled by “Track and Field News.” His 100 yards times ’put him among the first half dozen. D. S. Norrie The 50ft BJin hop, step and jump of the junior, D. S. Norris, makes him first in the Empire by three-quarters of an inch from B. van Houten (South Africa). Roy Williams, with his 50ft 2£in, fills third place. Halberg seems certain of inclusion with second ranking in the Empire at 5000 metres, third in the three’ miles, and sixth in the mile. Halberg beat the first ranked man, A. Lawrence, of Australia, when he visited Auckland during this season. M. Richards in the pole vault is another who should not be left out. His new record of 14ft is only l{in short of the Empire best performance last year. In the discus, L. R. Mills had the best throw in the Empire, last season with a distance of 175 ft 3in with three other athletes grouped within 16 inches of him. His shot put record of 54ft 3in made earlier (his season /would have gained third place. .B.

Robinson,- with two quartermiles in less than 48sec on successive Saturdays, would be unfortunate to miss nomination, N. Scott (mile), W. Baillie (mile), and R. Puckett (marathon) must also be considered. On his last year’s performances Scott was seventh in the 1500 metres and mile, and seventh in the Olympic 1500-metre final It was unfortunate for Scott that he was not at his best on championship day because or an injury some weeks earlier and he was well beaten by Baillie. Before Christmas, Scott ran a 4min 2.ssec mile. Bailie may have impressed the selectors with his win and there was no denying that he could have managed a faster time than 4min s.3sec had it been required.

By winning the national marathon title at the age of 22, R. Puckett proved himself the best prospect that New Zealand has had at the distance. He beat a field which included the Olympic representative, A. W. Richards.