PACIFIC CONTEST IN JUNE,BUT... Walker regards 1974 Games as his major athletics target

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33189, 31 March 1973, Page 4

PACIFIC CONTEST IN JUNE,BUT... Walker regards 1974 Games as his major athletics target

(By

R. O. DEW)

If the final of the men’s 800 metres in the Christchurch Commonwealth Games next year is to be run in Imin 47sec or faster, New Zealand’s leading middle distance track athletes still have some progress to make before they may be considered likely medal prospects. However, there is plenty of potential for development and one of those who appears to have the ability and temperament to make his presence felt at Queen Elizabeth II Park in the metric half-mile is the fairheaded Aucklander, John Walker. When he won the New Zealand 800 metres championship for the second successive season at Wellington recently, he was clearly in a class of his own. His time of Imin 48.7 sec was the fastest the title has been won in and few suspected at the time that he was only able to compete with the aid of a painkilling injection in a hamstring injury. Without this handicap, he might well have gone even faster. Now 21, and approaching his physical peak, Walker has decided to dedicate himself utterly to the Pacific Conference Games in Toronto in June and, more importantly, the Commonwealth Games next January. Nobody reaches the top in sport without sacrifices and he is well aware of this. Named for the New Zealand under 23 team to tour Australia next month, Walker later withdrew after conferring with his coach (Mr A. Jolly) and other prominent former athletes such as the great P. G. Snell. It was the first time he had been selected for a

New Zealand team and yet he elected to turn away from this opportunity for international competition to concentrate on his build-up for the Pacific and Commonwealth Games. Such a single-minded attitude can only result in success. This season Walker surprised himself with the ease of his victories. “I shouldn’t be talking like this, but I found it all so easy this season. It makes me feel that I can run much faster with tough opposition.” Last season Walker’s best time for 800 metres was Imin 48.5 sec. The fourtenths of a second he clipped off this in a special time trial this season does

not represent a tremendous improvement. However, he has been able to run times in this vicinity with remarkable consistency and it is this which is particularly pleasing. He is confident that he will be selected in the New Zealand team for the Pacific Conference Games, The selection standard is Imin 49.65ec and he has broken this by an appreciable amount on more than one occasion. But the Canadian festival is only a means to an end. He hopes that it will provide him with the incentive he needs to run Imin 47sec for the distance and ensure a place in the Commonwealth Games team. Walker appreciates that

he cannot afford to relax his efforts if he is to gain selection. He is on top of the 800 metres pedestal at present but is fully aware of the growing numbers of challengers for his national crown. The 18-year-old New Zealand junior 800 metres champion, D. J. Green, of Christchurch, is one athlete Walker has a lot of respect for. “He is very good. He will go a long way.” Green finished runner-up to Walker for the senior national title and is determined to reverse this result when the next New Zealand championship is held in Christchurch in December. There are two others in the running who have already faster times to their credit than Walker—B. A. Hunter (Otago), the 1970 and 1971 champion, and A. Gilmour (Canterbury), a former New Zealand junior title-holder. . Hunter has been struggling for top form during the last two seasons and the third he gained in this season’s national final was less than he is capable of. At 22, he still has his best years remaining. His best time is Imin 47.75ec. Gilmour had a wretched

time at the last national championships. He qualified for the final but a leg injury proved too much of a handicap and he hobbled in last. He, too, is only 22; his best time is Imin 48.2 sec. It is only slightly more than three years since Walker began running on the track. He used to compete in harriers for enjoyment and would probably still be doing this had a friend not taken the liberty of entering him for the Auckland 800 meties championship in 1971. "I didn’t know he was doing it, but when 1 realised what had been done I decided to give it a try.” The result was so encouraging that Walker decided to concentrate on the event and the next season at Hamilton he burst through to win the national senior title. Now he is keen to expand his sphere of activity on the track and has hopes of running in the 1500 metres at the Christchurch Games as well as the 800 metres. He plans to build up his strength this winter and is confident that he will be able to substantially lower his best time of 3min 43sec early next season.