Snell Wins Half-Mile But Time Well Outside Record

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 14

Snell Wins Half-Mile But Time Well Outside Record

[Special Representative, N.Z.PA.J

LOS ANGELES, June 2.

In an unusual race, which started out as an attempt for a fast time and finished as a race, P. G. Snell recorded Imin 48sec for a half-mile win at Occidental College on Friday night.

Snell’s time was four-tenths of a second outside his Empire Games winning time and 2.9 sec outside his world record.

He was not attempting a world record but wanted a fast time. However, it was not fast enonugh to put him at tiie top of the world List for this year. When the race began. Johnny Rhems. a small Negro sprinter from the Striders Club, shot around the field from an outside berth like a startled rabbit and entered the first bend clear of the field.

Snell Lengthened his stride but eventually let Rhems open up a lead of 10 yards Snell, who now became virtually the pace setter with such a large gap ahead, led the pack through the 220 yards in 25.75ec and the first lap in 53sec Rhems pulled aside and Snell led down the back straight without increasing his pace but had to start

working hard into the last corner. Coming out of the corner the pack was snapping at his heels and even trying to come around him. But when the straight opened. challenges grew weak in the face of Snell's answer.

In the short straight of 45 yards from corner to tape. Snell opened up four yards and looked in fighting mood when he finished. J. Grelle, Snell’s mile rival, finished fourth in Imin 4© 4sec. “It looks as if I have missed my last chance to head the world list for the half-mile this year,” said onell.

He has topped the list for the last three years. It is believed that if Snell had run a fast time be may have made efforts to stay for the United States championships

at St Louis, but now Snell says he is definitely returning after the Compton Relays on Friday night. Earlier, J. Beatty was obviously out to atone for his previous week’s poor showing by trying to run a sub4min mile on his own. He ran the first lap in 58sec but faded over the last halfmile to finish in tar. O.Ssec.