TRIALS WILL SHOW TEAM’S READINESS “Vital Week” For N.Z.’s Olympic Athletes

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31801, 4 October 1968, Page 13

TRIALS WILL SHOW TEAM’S READINESS “Vital Week” For N.Z.’s Olympic Athletes

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) I . MEXICO CITY. The New Zealand distance runners will know from track trials at the week-end how well they have acclimatised to Mexico City’s high altitude and how well prepared they are for their Olympic events.

Their manager, Mr L. O’Keefe, yesterday described this as a vital week which would show how many of the New Zealanders had reached the 97 per cent acclimatisation expected after three weeks training here.

Not all the New Zealanders have yet reached the required fitness but some, such as the hurdlers, R. O. Johnson, have settled in quickly and are nearing peak form.

Johnson ran two 100 metres sprints from flying starts this week in 9.4 sec and 9.ssec. Most of the New Zealand track and field team will compete against a big representation of Olympic athletes in another practice meeting at the village on Friday and Saturday. Decisions Delayed They have mostly been entered for alternative events and will decide on the day in which they will compete. The Otago middle-distance runner. Mrs S. Potts, will decide between the sprints for her trial and her Olympic distance, 800 metres. R. P. Welsh will run either in his Commonwealth gold

medal event, the 3000 metres steeplechase, or 5000 metres. M. R. Ryan, who was second in a 5000 metres trial last week-end, may run the same distance this week or in the 10,000 metres as part of his work-up for the Olympic marathon. The other New Zealand marathon runner, D. C. McKenzie, will continue on his own schedule and will not compete in the track meeting Private Trial R. A. Maddaford also will miss this meeting but will have a 3000 metres trial in the next’ day or two. E. A. Maguire, the young Aucklander who has bad some difficulty adjusting to Mexican altitude, will probably run in the 5000 metres in preference to his games distance, 10.000 metres. Johnson, who has been sharpening up with some fine sprinting, will compete either in his own event 400 metres hurdles, or tackle a 200 metres dash on the flat R. D. Tait who has been

throwing the discus about 200 ft this week, will try himself out against his Olympic opposition, and L. R. Mills will compete in the shot. The New Zealand athletes have been training in the quieter atmosphere of the University campus this week and have enjoyed the change from the more crowded conditions of the village track. “We will know in the next few days how effective our training has been,” Mr O’Keefe said. Cycling Race The New Zealand road cyclists, who have been working hard and taking every opportunity for competitive riding, will have another tough test tomorrow on Mexico City’s grand prix motor racing circuit. The conditions should suit the young J. A. Dean and give him an opportunity to make up for the disappointment of being forced out of last Sunday’s road trial. The Thomson brothers, R. D. and D. R., N. R. Lyster, and B. W. Beeston will all be riding with Dean in a 120-kilometre race over 30 laps of the grand prix circuit 1-1 Draw In Hockey (Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) MEXICO CITY. The New Zealand hockey team maintained its unbeaten record in pre-Olympic practice matches when it drew, 1-1, with Malaysia yesterday. New Zealand’s goal was scored by S. G. Maister, of Canterbury. The coach, Mr I. D. Armstrong, said that he was very happy with the team’s performance in such a hard, close game. The New Zealanders’ next two practice matches are against Argentina (today) and France (Sunday).