GAMES PROSPECT 200ft mark in hammer is within reach of Nicholl

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32219, 11 February 1970, Page 11

GAMES PROSPECT 200ft mark in hammer is within reach of Nicholl

(By

R. O. DEW)

'THE international future of Christchurch’s burly hammer throwing policeman, Warwick Nicholl (Technical), must be assured after his brilliant New Zealand record throw of 189 ft Ilin in the Canterbury championship at Rugby Park last Saturday. He broke the standard set by the New Zealand selectors for the forthcoming Edinburgh Commonwealth Games by almost 2ft and even now it would be very difficult to leave him out of the team. But Nicholl, who is only 25, relatively young by hammer throwing standards, is by no means satisfied that he has reached his full potential. With a schedule of 75 per cent weight training and 25 per cent throwing, he has not set himself a specific target distance for this season. However, he wants to exceed the 190 ft mark by as much as possible and undoubtedly has the magic 200 ft barrier as one of his long term aims. “To reach 200 ft I will probably have to make some changes to my technique,” he explained after winning the Canterbury championship last Saturday. “It tend to use arm power to give the hammer its impetus and and I will need to use my body more effectively if I am to better 200 ft.” Nicholl’s attitude towards his present technique is the direct result of his participation in the Pacific Conference Games in Japan last

; year. There he out-per-formed the New Zealand champion, D. Gilliland (Auckland), to take sixth place—a commendable effort in what was his first international competition

However, the full benefits of the trip have not yet been realised. While he was there Nicholl spent some time with the third ranked Japanese hammer thrower, S. Murofushi, and hopes to put the knowledge gained from him into effect next season. Murofushi has thrown the hammer 220 ft. Nicholl hoped to change his technique slightly this season but a foot injury kept him out of competition for several weeks and he was

unable to do so. When the injury was healed it was too late to make any changes to his style, esecially with the Commonwealth Games looming up. He expects that there will initially be some falling away in his performances when he to the new technique but he is confident that when he masters it he will be able to throw the hammer further than ever before.

And so for the present Nicholl, who has always been coached by the prominent Christchurch hammer throwing identity, Mr J. Brown, will persevere with his old technique. His immediate target is the New Zealand championship at Auckland towards the end of this month.

“That has always been rather elusive,” he recalled with a laugh. In the last three years he has been third twice and runner-up once, but there is every indication that his period as a minor placegetter at national level is over, although his two main rivals, Gilliland and M. S. Cheater (Auckland) have also made impressive strides in their standard of performance.

Of the three, Nicholl has probably been the more consistent—five of his six throws last Saturday were greater than 181 ft. Two seasons ago they would all have broken the New Zealand open record. And although he was third in the national championship last season behind Gilliland and Cheater he was preferred ahead of Cheater in the New

Zealand team for the Tokyo Games. The selectors could not overlook his season’s best performance of 186 ft 6in and he certainly upheld the faith they placed in him when he got to the games.

This time Nicholl has the Inside running for selection, but he cannot afford to disregard Gilliland and Cheater. Both have exceeded 184 ft this season and will be throwing in their home arena in the forthcoming New Zealand championship. It is unlikely that more than one will be sent to Edinburgh so the national championship is of prime importance to Nicholl but a series of throws of more, than 190 ft would certainly set the seal on his selection.

Nobody could doubt that this is within his capabilities after watching him in action last Saturday.