Halberg Qualifies In Secret 5000m Trial

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30556, 26 September 1964, Page 10

Halberg Qualifies In Secret 5000m Trial

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, Sept. 25. M. G. Halberg, the Olympic gold medallist in the SIMM) metres at Rome, today qualified for the event at I okyo. Until today the qualifying time had eluded him, but on a cinder track in Sydney he ran three miles in an ordinary 7 training run, in ISmin 24.8 sec.

This was well inside the qualifying time of 13min 35sec set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. Halberg cantered through the distance in the same effortless style he. had before the Rome Olympics. The last mile of today’s run was covered in 4min 21 sec. The time trial, with only New Zealand A.A.A. officials and other members of the Olympic team present, was a tonic for Halberg, who had twice failed to reach the

Olympic qualifying time in special runs in Auckland. Whereas his Auckland attempts were made in near winter conditions, his run today Was in warm, spring sunshine. When the team left its hotel for the training track, it was said that- only light tasks would be attempted. Consequently, Halberg’s run and his time came as something of a surprise. For the rest of the team it was largely a day of relaxation. They were scheduled to leave Sydney tonight, and will arrive in Tokyo tomorrow.