Kent’s last bid today

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33425, 5 January 1974, Page 30

Kent’s last bid today

H. D. Kent’s bid to force his way into the Commonwealth Games cycling team has reached its last chapter. At Denton Park yesterday, the kilometre time trial champion failed in the attempt to break his New Zealand record. He did lmin 12.4 sec — the same time as that which won his original nomination — but he will make another effort today.

Kent’s effort was made just before 4 p.m., after the sprinters in the Games track squad had ridden various time trials. The conditions were quite reasonable: it had been very warm, and although a north-easterly had

sprung up, it was not too severe.

The 94in gear that Kent rode was too much, however, He said later that this was the gear on which he had ridden his four sub-lmin lOsec kilometres, but added: “I have not done the stamina training,for that gear.” Kent has now twice ridden a time of o.4sec faster than Zealand’s No. 2 seed for this event at the Games, R. M. G. A. Heyde. It is also less than a second slower than that which won the Australian championships, and remains the springboard for a time capable of winning a medal at the Games. He will need to do a better time to convince the Games selectors, however, and the final effort will be tonight during the programme which

will precede the New Zealand madison championship at Denton Park.

Sportsmen, apart from those connected with cycling, turned up and waited patiently for Kent’s effort yesterday. Most notable among them were P. D. Mills, the Auckland hurdler who has just been added to the team, and his father, L. iR. Mills, who actually held a watch for Kent’s time trial. The performances of the Games’ track riders over non-specialist distances were:— B. W. Preston, 400 metres standing start in 29.45ec; J. A. Dean, 800 metres standing start in 58.6 sec; Heyde, 600 metres standing start in 44.45ec; P. A. Medhurst, 400 metres flying start, 25.8 sec and 26.1 sec.