Gilmour scores fine win in 800 metres championship

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32525, 8 February 1971, Page 15

Gilmour scores fine win in 800 metres championship

The 20-year-old Technical athlete, A. Gilmour, brilliantly won the feature event —the senior 800 metres final —during the first session of the Canterbury track and field championships at Rugby Park on Saturday.

He dramatically burst free from the leading bunch with 200 metres to run and raced away with such a show of strength that it was obvious nobody was'going to catch him. He crossed the finishing line in Imin 51sec, the fastest time of his career and the fastest the title has ever been won in.

This was a tenth of a second inside the 11-year-old provincial record held by G. F. Hack, but is unlikely to find its way into the record book because G. McKechnie (University-Shirley) and B. Robinson (High School Old Boys) have a prior claim. They both broke the record a week before while racing for Canterbury against Auckland at the Mount Smart Stadium, being timed at Imin 50.8 sec and Imin 50.9 sec, respectively. Because of this, McKechnie and Robinson started on Saturday as favourites, but on the day they were no real match for Gilmour. Robinson finished second in Imin 525 sec, and McKechnie third in Imin 53.8 sec.

The defending champion, M. Clarkson (New Brighton),

set the field alight when he made a burst down the back straight on the final lap, but soon faded when the others responded and finally finished fourth. McKechnie probably made a mistake in setting the early pace. He led the field through the first lap in a rapid Msec. At the start of the back straight Gilmour and Robinson ranged up alongside him and as they were racing along three abreast, Clarkson sprinted past Gilmour accelerated and quickly had Clarkson covered. Although the others were only a fraction slower, when Clarkson faded Gilmour had established a handy lead. Robinson desperately tried to reduce the margin, but Gilmour was running with great strength and he could make no real impact "I felt very good after my heat,” said Gilmour afterwards. “I knew then that I had a good chance.” He paid a tribute to his coach, Mr V. Briedis. “I would not be where I am now if it was not for him.” He was chosen as the recipient of the “athlete of the week" award by the selectors (Messrs T. I. Crossan, G. F. Hack, and D. W. Mackenzie). Next Saturday, Gilmour will attempt to win the 1500 metres title on the second day ot the championships. He recenUy set a new Canterbury record or

3min 52.25ec for the distance and must start as the favourite.

Hamilton Wins The reigning New Zealand champion, J. Power (South Canterbury), was only a shadow of his former self in the 5000 metres championship. In sharp contrast to his national championship at Auckland last year, he never had the confidence to set the pace and In the finish was forced to accept third place. The title went to a former Canterbury champion, K. Hamilton (Technical), in Itaiin 34Usec, more than 20sec slower than Power won the title last season He took over the lead on the seventh lap after two others, M. Radcliffe (New Brighton) and B. Rollo (University-Shirley), had unsuccessfully attempted to make separate breaks on the field. He judged the tactical situation perfectly and was soon in a commanding position. The minor placings continued to change with Rollo, J. Sheddan (Olympic), P. Watson (New Brighton), and Power coming Into pn> mlnence. But they never looked like catching Hamilton. Watson, who was top ranked for the event, finished second, with Power just holding off Sheddan for third place There was one casualty. A Neeson (University-Shirley) was spiked while handily placed after one-third of the distance had been covered. He was forced to withdraw and was obviouxly in considerable pain. The race was robbed of some of its Interest by the scratching of the two Greymouth internationals, E. Gray and D. C. McKenzie. Both are expected to contest the 10,000 metres next Saturday.

Sprint RecOrd G. Anderson (Old Boys) moved a step closer to the New Zealand junior 100 metrea title when he won the Canterbury junior championship in record time. The present New Zealand junior hurdles champion, Anderson equalled the record of lO.Osec In the heats before scoring a comfortable win in the final in 10.8 sec.

This season, for the first time, Anderson has concentrated on straight sprinting under the guidance of his coach (Mr P. Davies) and. has developed into one of the brightest young prospects in the country. Second place, well behind, went to M. Sutherland (Toe H) in ll.teec. Another Davies-trained Old Boys’ athlete, T Cochrane, formerly of Ashburton, proved too strong for the opposition in the senior 200 metres final. The defending champion, A. w. Tweedie (also Old Boys), could not match Cochrane’s finish and just managed to hold off the flrst-year senior, B. Ford (Technical), for second place. Cochrane’s time of 22.1 sec was a good one but well outside Tweedie’s provincial record of 21.4 sec. Tweedie, whose main target will be the 400 metres next Saturday, has not trained quite so seriously this season. His time on Saturday was 22.55ec. Ford was credited with the same time.

’rile women’s 200 metres title was retained by Miss F. Teahen (Temuka) in the good time of 25.75ec, a tenth of a second faster than she recorded in the final last season. But it was only over the last half-dozen strides that she forged ahead. Mrs A. HorsneU (Technical) led the field Into the straight and held her lead until about

10 yards from the tape. In those last few vital yards Miss Teahen surged to the front and the promising young Toe H sprinter, Miss L. Trimble, also went past to take second place in 25.95ec. Mrs HorsneU was third in 26sec. Miss Teahen did not have the same success in the women’s long jump, which she also won last season. The best she could manage In this was 16ft IJIn which only gave her fifth place. This did not compare favourably with her winning leap of 18ft sjln laat season. The title was regained by the former national champion, Mrs V. Grant (nee GUmour), who has been In outstanding form in recent weeks. She cleared 18ft Olin to beat tbe Commonwealth Games representative, Miss B. Poulsen (Technical), by only a quarter of an Inch. Third place went to Mrs M. Mene (Technical) with a best jump of 16ft 61 In. Miss Poulsen went on to win the women’s shot title with a best throw of 46ft 41n. Mrs Mene was runner-up with 42ft Ilin. Although below her best, Mrs Mene had tittle difficulty In retaining her javelin title. Her best throw wss 133 ft 31n. Fino double Probably the finest double of the day was achieved by the High School Old Boys junior, R. Mclntosh. He won the 400 metres sprint final In the impressive time of 49Jtaec and 20mIn later came out to win the junior 110 metres hurdles title in the Canterbury record time of ISJsec. The defending champion, Anderson, was second in 16.5 sec. Mclntosh, who comes from Ashburton, Is now a firm favourite to win a third title, the 400 metres hurdles, next Saturday and appears to nave a grand chance of winning the national title over thia distance next month. The junior 1300 metres title predictably went to D. Green (Christchurch) In the fast time ot imin O.Saec. However, the promising Malrehau High School pupil did not have things all hla own way and it was only In the last 100 metres that he managed to subdue the-St Bede’s runner, IL Anderson. Anderson, who could not quite match Green’s powerful finishing sprint, was second in 4mln I.6sec. The New Zealand hammer throw champion, W. Nlcholl (Technical), was in superb form. All six of his throws were In excess of 188 ft, a mark which would have been a New Zealand record a few years ago. However it was his final attempt ot 192 ft 31n, which was bls best This bettered his existing Canterbury record but was just short of the New Zeeland record ’Of 195 ft Sin he set at Auckland the previous week-end. Second piece went to his clubmate, B. Harland, who recorded another good throw of 175 ft Sin on his fourth attempt G. Grant (Technical) was third with a best distance of 181 ft Ilin. The senior high Jump was unexpectedly won by a junior athlete, P. Crampton (St Bede’s). He cleared sft Bln. In the junior championship, he did not fare so well. R. Lockington (St Bede’s) defeated him on a count-back. Both cleared sft Sin. The women’s 800 metres title also produced a surprise result. The previously unknown Fareora athlete, Mlsa D. Falvey, comfortably won the event in 2mln 23.35ec. The favourite for the title, Miss A. Tait (Christchurch), a New Zealand cross country trialist, was second tn 2min 28 sec.