1500m OPPONENTS CONCEDE... Young Canadian runner in class of her own

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33450, 4 February 1974, Page 10

1500m OPPONENTS CONCEDE... Young Canadian runner in class of her own

An 18-year-old science student from Canada. Glenda Reiser, outclassed a field of considerable ability in winning the women's 151 M) metres title on Saturday afternoon.

She set the pace from the start and shattered any hopes her rivals might have had of overhauling her by sprinting the last 350 metres.

None could match her strength and she finished almost 3sec ahead of her nearest challenger, in a Games and New Zealand open record of Imin 7.Ssec. Miss Reiser said afterwards: “I just decided to go out and lead the whole thing.” She had no idea how close her rivals were behind her. “They might have been 10 yards or 20—I couldn’t tell. ■I don’t run with a rear vision mirror.” The runner-up was Joan Allison, of England, in 4min

•10.“ sec. She headed the | (Commonwealth rankings be- , fore the Games and admitted (that she “just couldn’t get i‘with it” in Saturday’s final. I “1 did not think that the l(race would be run in such fast time. I thought the winner would do about 4min ; lOsec,” she added. Asked if she thought her [(participation in the 800 ’metres had sapped her strength for the longer race, jMrs Allison replied: “No. If •II could do it all over again. ’(I would run in both races. • Only next time I would run 1 the 800 metres faster.” Mrs Allison, who was also i i ranked top in the 800 metres. Ufinished out of a place in this

event, but said that it would ' continue to be her main distance. :j Third place went to little Thelma Wright (Canada) in ' 4min 12.3 sec. She also took ! the bronze medal in the 800 r metres at Edinburgh. * “I knew Glenda would be out in front and I just tried to stay as close as I could,” Mrs Wright said. But on the day, Miss Reiser was in a class of her own. At 200 metres she was leading from Mrs Wright, Mrs Allison and the New Zealand silver medallist over 800 metres, Sue Haden. J Miss Reiser completed the ' first lap in 64sec, with Mrs ,: Allison moving up to followed by Mrs Wright, the :t 14-year-old Kenyan, Sabina. 1 Chebichi, and Miss Haden, i, i No impression Miss Chebichi made her i bid soon afterwards, butjt could make no impression on I the Canadian leader. At the it end of the second lap, Missi Reiser led from Miss Chebichi. Mrs Wright and Mrs! Allison. Miss Haden haddropped back to seventh and never again looked a medal prospect. Miss Chebichi faded as the pace increased, and Mrs Alli|son accelerated into second place, with Mrs Wright hard! on her heels. But by this time it was a one-horse race. Miss Reiser was 15 metres clear at the start of the final 1 lap and further increased 'this with a finish of impressive strength. Mary Stewart, of Scotland,, (the 17-year-old sister of the, ; Edinburgh 5000 metres!

champion. lan Stewart, showed considerable potential by coming through well at the end to finish fourth, behind Mrs Allison and Mrs Wright. Miss Chebichi was fifth, just ahead of the first New Zealander, Anne Garrett, whose time of 4min 21.1 sec bettered the existing national resident record by almost a second.