Olympic Quarter-Miler To Race In Chch.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30940, 22 December 1965, Page 14

Olympic Quarter-Miler To Race In Chch.

Three prominent Australian athletes, including the Tokyo Olympic Games 400 metres representative, G. Eddy, will be competing at Rugby Park on January 29, the day of the Canterbury decathlon and women’s pentathlon championships.

The other two are T. Vincent, who is capable of a 4min Isec mile and is a former Australian champion over this distance, and J. Doubell, Australia's most prominent half-miler.

The three athletes have been invited by the Otago Athletic Centre to compete at Dunedin and Oamaru. They were offered to the Canterbury centre for a meeting on January 29, and it had no hesitation in accepting at its meeting last evening. A programme of three special events suggested by an executive member, Mr P. D. Brown, was approved for the meeting. They are a quarter-mile. a half-mile and a mile. Normal inter-club events will be held also. Matched with Mackenzie

In the 440 yards event Eddy will probably be matched against the reigning New Zealand champion over the distance, D. W. Mackenzie. The outcome could well assist Mackenzie in his bid for Empire Games selection. The New Zealand sprint champion. A. G. Steel, D. Minards, and other prominent Canterbury sprinters are also expected to race in this event.

The fields for the 880 yards and the mile are not quite so clear-cut, but it is likely that the Canterbury champions for both events, J. Gordon and B. R. Jones, will make full use of the opportunity to race against top-class competition at the meeting, which is a fortnight before the start of the Canterbury track and field championships. £5O Fee Rejected

An offer by the Auckland centre to allow the Jugoslav athletes, S. Vasic and F. Cervan, to compete at the Russian meeting on January 15 for a fee of £5O was rejected. Instead, the Canterbury centre decided to offer Auckland £25 for the two athletes. If this is not acceptable, the Jugoslavs will not be invited to race.

Asked for his opinion on the worth of the athletes. Mr P. Brown said that they were better than the local runners but not as good as the Russians. He considered that it would have been “£5O down the drain” if Auckland’s offer had been accepted. The secretary (Mr I. D. Teague) said that Rothmans

had been quite surprised when he had told them that Auckland wanted £5O because the company was sponsoring the two athletes. However, Rothmans was not going to take any action In the matter. No Live Teleeaat

There will be no live telecast of the New Zeeland athletic championships, to be held at Rugby Park in March. However, the N.Z.B.C. will be permitted to film the meeting for a delayed telecast, provided it pays for any seats lost through the placing of equipment tn the stand. This was agreed by centre officials when requested for a price for a live teleeaat on

the Saturday afternoon of the nationals. It was felt that the NXB.C. would not consider a figure which would be realistic to toe centre. The meeting considered offeting the Saturday for a fee of £75 but thti was rejected when put to the vote. A suggestion that the NZ.B.C. be charged £5O for a delayed telecast was also dheerded.

“Surely ail we want is compensation for seats lost." said Mr B. Kerr. There was no point in trying to charge the N23.C. exorbitant fees for a delayed trieceat R was to the centre's advantage to have one, he said.