AUST. SHOWS DEPTH IN SPRINTING

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

AUST. SHOWS DEPTH IN SPRINTING

Australia left no doubt about the depth of ability among its sprinters by winning both the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 metres on Saturday. As expected, Kenya won the men’s 4 x 400 metres, repeating the victories it | gained in this event at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and the Munich Olympic Games. The women’s 4 x 100 metres went to England. Running the anchor leg for Australia in the women’s 4 x 100 metres Raelene Boyle gained her third gold medal of the Games. She flashed across the finishing ; line in an over-all time of 43.5 sec—a Games and New i Zealand open record. England was runner-up in I another exceptional time, of |44.3osec. RECORD TO N.Z. The New Zealand team of Kim Robertson. Brenda Mat- ; thews, Gail Wooten and I Wendy Brown was fifth, but had the satisfaction of lowI ering the national resident \record by half a second, to 144.75ec. With such talented speedsters as Don Quarrie, the ’'winner of both the men’s 1100 and 200 metres, and Lennox Miller, a bronze 'medallist over 100 metres at the last Olympics, .Jamaica was expected to put up a istrong defence of its 4 x 100 metres title. But it could do I no better than fourth, and the gold medal went by a narrow margin to Australia in 39.35ec. This time bettered the Games, Australian and New Zealand open records. One of the key members of the team was a New Zealander, Laurie D’Arcy, formerly of Timaru. He ran the second leg in impressive style. His colleagues were Greg Lewis, Andrew Ratcliffe and Graeme Haskell. Grant Anderson, Trevor Cochrane, Bevan Smith and Kerry Hill, representing New Zealand, finished seventh, in a national resident record of 40.415ec. KENYANS ON TOP In spite of its lack of team practice, Kenya never looked like being beaten in the men’s 4 x 400 metres. The 400 metres champion,' Charles Asati, gave the teami a great start, and when the' runners broke lanes, Kenya

was 20 metres clear of its, nearest rival. Francis Mus- : yoki and Bill Koskei held their own easily before handing on to Julius Sang for the final leg. Sang, a bronze medallist over 400 metres at the Munich Olympics, with a very I powerful run, showed that his earlier performances in the Christchurch Games over this distance had been; out of character. Kenya’s time of 3min 4.4 sec was well outside the Games record but was s.ssec inside the New Zealand mark. England, with the 800 metres runner, Andy Carter, coming in as a late replacement for Colin Campbell, was second in 3min 6.7 sec. New Zealand was expected to do well in this event but a disappointing second leg by Richard Endean ended its hopes of a medal. Phil Kear ran a good opening leg to put New Zealand fourth at the baton change, but on the second lap, Endean dropped three imore placings. COCHRANE FADED Cochrane ran with great i determination on the third ileg before fading a little in the 'finishing straight, and i Smith lifted the team to fifth place. Their time of 3min ;Bsec was a resident record. The performance of the New Zealand team in the women’s 4 x 400 metres event was almost identical. Consisting of Shirley Somervell, Sue Gukilau, Lorrain Tong and Penny Hunt, it finished fifth in a resident record time of 3min 37.55ec. England was a comfortable winner from Australia in the New Zealand open record time of 3min 29.25ec.