Confident Davies Beats Snell

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30367, 17 February 1964, Page 15

Confident Davies Beats Snell

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 16. For all the anti-climax in. a lethargic mile in the Agfa athletics meeting at Auckland on Saturday there was one significant aspect which made the race notable—the almost nonchalant confidence with which J. L. Davies achieved a convincing victory in 4min 2.ssec.

Against tha American, C. N. Weisiger, and the world record-holder, P. G. Snell, Davies was expected to have to use his aggressive tactics to an even more devastating extent than usual. However, he ran the race in Snell’s own manner—laying low until the last 250 yards and then pitting bis speed against anyone. The lack of action during the race and the slow time was a disappointment to the large crowd, but these were largely due to the extreme beat, the sponginess of the Eden Park track, and ithe withdrawal of two runners, one of whom was expected to set the early pace. Davies, settling right back from the start, was • quite content as long as Weisiger was working out in front and he could observe and gauge how well Snell was running. Nothing significant showed in the first lap, of 80.5 sec, but in the second, of Blsec, Snell allowed two yards to open up and in the third, which was even slower, there was a five-yard margin. Snell was running sluggishly but still Davies stayed behind him, even while Weisiger reached the bell with five yards in hand. Davies moved up on the top bend, glancing quickly behind him at Snell. He moved up on to Weisiger, took another glance behind, went right to Weisiger's shoulder and then let fly. At the end of the straight, Davies gave a last look back, saw he was already five yards clear, and then raced exultantly around the bend. He finished 13 yards, clear of Weisiger and 20 yards ahead of Snell. Snell said that his form had been “just so bad” that he must have been affected by a recent stomach sickness. “My condition previously had been fairly good,” said Snell, “not tremendously good but good enough to require some other reason for my drastic drop in performance." In the 5000 metres, run late in the day, W. D. Baillie, N. L Scott and the Australian, A. Cook, took turns to reach the mile in the excellent time of 4min 25sec and the two miles in 9min.

But as the pace faded it became apparent that Baillie would hold the trump card. He finally played it in a last quarter-mile of 59sec, and Cook and Scott lost by 40 yards. In the long jump, D. S. Norris started splendidly by increasing the New Zealand record to 24ft Ilin, but the American, D. C. Horn, finally won with a wind-assisted 25ft 9*in. Results of international oventa were:— Mile.—J. Davies (N.Z.). 4:2.5, 1; C. Weisiger (U.S.A ) 4:4.5, 8; P, Snell (N.Z.), 4:7.9, 3. 5000 Metre*. W. D. Baillie (N.Z.), 14:2.4, 1; A. Cooke (Australia), 14:8, 2; N. Scott (N.Z.), ioO Yards—C, Crocker (N.Z.), 9.8. 1; J. Taylor (N.Z.). 9.9, 3; D. Hom (U.S.A.), 92, 3. 120 Yards Hurdles. C. K. Yang (U.S.A.). 14.8, 1; R. A. Greenbury (N.Z.), 15.4, 2; R. L. Shierling (N.Z,), 15.6, 3. Pole Vault C. K. Yang (USJL). 15:6, I; K. Gibbons (N.Z.), 13:6. i. Long Jump.—D. Hom (U.S.A.). 25:9J (wind assisted), 1; D. Norris (N.Z.), 24 ill, 3; R. Thomas (N.Z.), M:6J, 3.