FIRST TRACK GOLD

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 7

FIRST TRACK GOLD

Bedford hopes to erase some bitter memories

(By

O. DEW

The colourful, often controversial, and brilliant English distance runner, David Bedford, todav will set out to erase the bitter memories of past failures with a victory in the first track final of the tenth British Commonwealth Games — the 10,000 m — at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

As the world record-holder for the distance with his time of 27min 30.8 sec, Bedford is an obvious favourite for the title. But he has been a favourite before and failed, and his pre-Games ranking can be of little comfort to him this time.

On the surface, Bedford has left nothing- to chance. He came to New Zealand well ahead of I the main party of British competitors to acclimatise himself.

He is clearly satisfied with his present form—although he admits it is not quite as good as when he set the world record.

“I am very much more re-; ,-laxed than I have been foil some time,” he said. “Living! (in a good climate for a few, weeks has done my morale i I good. At the moment, I ami feeling very happy.” Learning from his stormy! past, Bedford has refused to predict his own success. Al-1 [though this has, no doubt,l (been a huge disappointment! Ito the British journalists, it I indicates that the 24-year-old (Englishman is not now tak-1 jing his rivals lightly. I Nevertheless, he did man-j (age to upstage them by call-; i ing his own press conference; [earlier this week. More determined i This typical piece of Bed-; I ford showmanship is likely! (to make the other runners! (more determined than ever! Ito keep the . Englishman; among the also-rans. On last year’s times, two; other England runners,! ‘David Black and Tony Sim-; mons, appear to be his chief; rivals, with best perform-: ances of 27min 55.65ec and 1 ;28min I.Bsec, respectively. ( I Then, there are the unpre-( Idictable but outstanding Kenyans, Richard Juma andj Paul" Mose, who are both; capable of running the distance under 28min. ! Lachie Stewart (Scotland),! (winner of the event at| Edinburgh, is ranked only sixth but is well known for; his ability to rise to the oc-l casion. His fellow coun-| tryman, lan Stewart, the! Commonwealth 5000 m champion, is also competing.: And he is a runner fori whom Bedford has consid-j erable respect. New Zealand’s chief hopes! i of a medal lie with the; J national champion, Richard

iTayler, who might turn out |to be the “dark horse’’ in I the field. He is in the finest I form of his career and is certain to improve on his 'best time of 28min 29sec.

Another event of major; interest today is the testing, women’s pentathlon in which Northern Ireland’s “golden girl”, Mary Peters,] will be defending her title. I The reigning Olympic champion, Miss Peters has! made it clear that this will; be her final international competition. For New Zealanders, some of the appeal of the 5000 m next Tuesday has gone now that the top-ranked runner in the Commonwealth, Dick Quax, has been forced to withdraw because of a foot injury. Form was superb It is a particularly frustrating injury for Quax, who I has been in superb form this season and seemed as 'certain as any athlete can be I ito win a gold medal. j However, the race, which i (will be run next Tuesday, [will still be full of interest, 'with Mose, Brendan Foster [(England), Black and the | magnificent Ben Jipcho i (Kenya) fighting for the ‘medals. This is only one of the 1 three events in which Jip-i icho, who promises to be-' come the outstanding perIsonality of the Games, has ! entered. He is also a potential gold medallist in both i the 1500 m and the 3000 m : steeplechase — in the latter he holds the world record. Dixon's big day

The 1500 m on the final day will undoubtedly be the glamour event of the track competition, and it is also the event in which New Zealand’s Olympic bronze medallist, Rodney Dixon, should play a leading role. With Quax on the sidelines, Dixon is now New Zealand’s main hope for a gold medal in track competition. Notwithstanding his third ranking for the event — his; best time is 3min 37.35ec — he is being widely chosen as the runner most likely to succeed.

He ran a very poor tactical race in the New Zealand

championship last December and was run down in the finishing straight by John Walker, another New Zealander who might shine in (the 1500 m.

But a superb mile run in 3min 55.55ec at Wanganui earlier this month has erased all doubts about his fitness. Further confirmation of his good form came last Sunday when he won the 3000 m in impressive fashion. Front-runner The top-ranked runner in the 1500 m is the talented, 21-year-old Tanzanian, Filbert Bayi, who recorded the fastest time in the world last year, 3min 34.65ec.

Bayi runs from the front and seems certain to cover the first 800 m in about Imin 52sec. But this will play into the hands of Dixon, who has the finishing sprint to overhaul Bayi — provided, of course, he can maintain contact with the Tanzanian.

In the steeplechase tomor|row, victory seems inevi- ; table for the 30-year-old Jipcho. His strongest competition seems likely to come from another member of the Kenyan team, Evans Moguka. Main challengers New Zealand’s second gold-medal prospect in the track events is Walker, over 800 m. He recently ran the distance in Imin 45.1 sec, and has the strength and the speed to achieve victory. But the standard of the competition he faces is exceptional.

Although the Englishman, Andy Carter, holds top ranking, the difficulty of preparing in a winter environment will count against him. Mike Boit, the Kenyan who ran Imin 45.8 sec at the Games venue last Sunday, stands out as the man Walker must beat.

While the Kenyans are making a big impact in the distance events, the West Indians show no signs of losing their dominance over the short sprints. Don Quarrie (Jamaica), winner of both the 100 m and 200 m at the last Games, is the joint holder of the world! record for the longer distance, at 19.8 sec. He is top-;

ranked for this event and if fit will be strongly favoured. Carl Lawson, also of Jamaica, will be among his strongest opponents.

In the 100 m, Hasley CrawIford (Trinidad) and Graham (Haskell (Australia) are at (the top of the rankings with best times of lO.lsec last year. Quarrie shares third place with 12 others, including the New Zealandborn Australian representative, Laurie D’Arcy. David Jenkins (Scotland) is the top-ranked sprinter in the 400 m with his best time last year of 45.25ec. Although he came to Christchurch some weeks before his main team, he has not raced and might have difficulty reaching his best form. Kim Rowe (Jamaica) and a trio of Kenyans, Francis Musyoki, Julias Sang and the defending champion, Charles Asati, are certain to make life on the track difficult for the 21-year-old Scot.