Athletic centre criticised

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 10

Athletic centre criticised

Criticism ot the Canterbury Athletic Centre's handling of the case of E. Gray, whose place in the New Zealand . world championship cross-country team was recently in jeopardy, was expressed by the Greymouth club at the centre’s management committee meeting last evening. Gray, who had already been chosen for the team, was required by the New Zealand selectors to ran a special fitness timetrial of 10,000 metres in under 30 minutes. „ . He ran the distance In 30mln Msec at the recent Canterbury championships, but this had not satisfied the selectors, and another trial was requested. Because runners who had missed selection for the team had beaten the standard, the N.Z.A.A.A, indicated that a replacement for Gray might have to be considered if he did not try again or give a reason for not attempting the standard. Last Saturday, he ran a 5000metre trial In 14min 42scc dur-

ring the West Coast champloni ships. i A letter from the Greymouth club was received last evening i criticising the centre for not having pursued Gray’s case i strongly enough with the ; N.Z.A.A.A. and explaining why a 10,000-metre attempt had not i been made. The conditions on the day had ■ not been suitable because a 10mile road race had alreday been • scheduled, thus attracting all the leading distance runners and givi ing Gray little chance of com- ’ petition, the club said. ••It we hadn’t put in ®rg- • ent telephone calla to Weltington. Gray might well have : himself out of the team, the > secretary (Mr L Teague) told the meeting, In claiming that the criticism was unjustified. Mr T. I. Crossen criticised the : timing of the selection races and subsequent time-trials, saying that, just as was the. case two years ago (when a New Zealand team competed In the 1968 cham-

pionships in Scotland), soon *.a 10,000-metre fields were brine robbed of top-class talent g He moved that ths centre press concern at the time of dw parture of the team which clashed with the nathmal chanj pionships, and ask that consld* fumre 40 thl * * Mr Flynn suggested that tb« the A2cH?nd“ U < S <1 me c ‘“S<’ b o ' ! S The motion was carried Mr New equalled the mX would’^ n m t a°d. ha ''* “