Some Difficulties With New All-Weather Track

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30094, 30 March 1963, Page 9

Some Difficulties With New All-Weather Track

fFHE weather at the national senior athletic championships at Dunedin was the worst at a New Zealand meeting for many years. The all-weather track at the Caledonian ground showed the value of such a surface in the most adverse conditions—strong

wind and heavy rain. Although performances suffered considerably, there were still some remarkable accomplishments for the conditions. At least the meeting was able to continue without runners being bogged down. as they would have with such conditions on the former grass track.

Athletes seemed favourably impressed with the track, although some contended there was a hardening of the surface with the change to colder weather.

Competition in the high jumps was very seriously affected, however. Three competitors failed to pass the qualifying jump in the

men’s event and another went out after sft 3in, leaving only the first three to go on to greater heights.

Only one failed to qualify In the women's events, but three others missed after 4ft 7in and another five could do no better than 4ft lOin, leaving only the champion, Miss L. Curtis, to carry on to sft 4in. Some were capable of several inches higher under better conditions.

While the weather was the primary cause of the lower standard in the high jump, a secondary cause may have been that the competitors did not have a full all-weather approach to the take-off. The first few strides were on saituicited turf, where the short spikes necessary for the all-weather surface had little grip. The javelin and

the 3000 metre steeplechase were two other events where the competitors had to contend with a greasy grass surf ace. , No all-weather surface was provided for the javelin competitors, some of whom had difficulty in halting before the throwing line. Steeplechase men had the problem of having to wear short spikes on the allweather track, which formed nearly threequarters of each lap only to find themselves in difficulties on the turf surface which led to and from the water jump inside the bottom bend of the main track. . *■ * If a similar type of track is installed in Christchurch it is to be hoped that some additional provision will be made for these points.