DISCUS FINAL

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29301, 5 September 1960, Page 8

DISCUS FINAL

Sloper Just Qualifies

(Special Correspondent NZ.P.A.) ROME, September 3. Despondent after finishing fourth in the shot put yesterday, New Zealand’s Valerie Sloper qualified in the discus today—but only just. New Zealand’s other discus entry, Jennifer Thompson, was eliminated. Miss Sloper actually failed to reach the qualifying mark of 154 ft 2 3-Bin but “sneaked in” because under Olympic rules 12 competitors are needed in the discus final.

Miss Sloper, who at one stage seemed certain of a silver medal in the shot put, was so dejected at the village last night she kept to herself and took little part in the Halberg-Snell victory celebrations.

Halberg’s race might have cost Miss Sloper a medal. She was warming up for the shot while the 5000-metre race was in progress, and as Halberg rounded the turn into the straight for the last lap she rushed to the edge of the track, clapping and shouting ecstatically. Immediately afterwards, still excited, she had to compete against some of the strongest women in the world. Today, Miss Sloper, with 153 ft 10 7-Bin, failed by only 9 centimetres (3Jin) to reach the qualifying discus mark at the first attempt. Thereafter she threw feebly. Miss Thompson’s best was 153 ft 4 l-Bin, but she was not so lucky as Miss Sloper as she was not in the best 12.

The top qualifier was the famous Russian “Nina of the five hats” Pomonareva, who with 176 ft 1 3-Bin was one centimetre off the Olympic record established by Olga Fiktova, of Czechoslovakia—now Mrs H. Connolly. Mrs Connolly qualified todaywearing the colours of the United States, to which she emigrated following her marriage to the American hammer-thrower after the Melbourne Olympics.