Dixon beats Walker

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 10

Dixon beats Walker

' Vc?u Zealand Press Association > AUCKLAND. Rodney Dixon avenged himself over John Walker at the Winstones track and field meeting at Mount Smart Stadium last night when he beat him in a photo-finish in the international one-mile event—both athletes setting a Mount Smart record of 3min 56sec.

Although I.9sec outside! P. E. Snell’s national resident and Auckland provincial! records of 3min 54.1sece, the| time last night was surpris-! ingly fast considering that neither Dixon nor Walker 5 were in the frame of rnind: to want to run a very fast, time. Spice was added to the 5 field with the inclusion of a; much-fitter Olympic 1500 metres champion, Pekka Vasala, of Finland, who, finished third after threaten-! ing to lead the field home. He! also broke 4 minutes with a time of 3min 59.1 sec. The race began very fast, with W. Madden steering the field over the first quarter-mile before the Olympic champion took over and led through the | half in Imin 57sec, with Dixon and Walker hard on bis heels, j Dixon led through the third | lap despite cries by small boys! on the sideline of: “Walker, Walker.” FULL CRY Vasala, in full cry,, swung Into the lead with a sprint approaching the start of the last 200 metres, Half way around the last bend he was out by five or six yards and momentarily it appeared to the largest crowd to attend Mount Smart Stadium to date, that the Olympic champion would be the first to reach the tape.

Mr A. L. Lydiard. who was asked to nominate the Montana Wines athlete of the night, selected Miss S. Haden. Results: — Winstone international mile R. P. Dixon 'Nelson), 3:56. 1, J Walker (Auckland), 3:56. 2; P. Vasala (Finland'. 3:59.1, 3. Two miles.—R. Tayler <Blen heim). 8:39. 1; B Jones (Auck landi. 8:51.6. 2; P. Wilson iota huhu), 9:2.6. 3. Women's 800 metres invitation —S. Haden iManurewai. 2:4,6. 1. L. Moller (Waikato), 2:5.1, 2; S Potts (Otahuhu). 2:9.6, 3