Mrs Beable close to pentathlon record

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 11

Mrs Beable close to pentathlon record

Barbara Beable (Wellington) failed by a mere three points to equal her New Zealand pentathlon record when she competed by invitation in the Canterbury championships at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday.

It was tangible evidence that she is right on target with her preparation for the New Zealand Games. She scored an impressive 4155 points in the fiveevent contest to beat comfortably the present New Zealand champion, Susan Bumside (Technical) who was well below her best.

Miss Bumside won only one event, the 200 metres sprint. Her total of 4364 points was some 317 less than she scored in gaining an upset win over Mrs Beable (then Miss Poulsen) in the last New Zealand championship. Even in the long jump, an event in which Miss Burnside will compete at the New Zealand Games, she was beaten by her more experienced opponent, Mrs Beable, clearing 5.57 metres, compared with a best jump of 5.45 metres by Miss Bumside. However, Miss Bumside had little incentive to do well. She was assured of winning her first Canterbury senior title even before she started. Mrs Beable, who won the event last season when living In Christchurch, was not eligible for the title, and Miss Burnside was the only other competitor. QUESTION OF RECORD Mrs Beable’s most satisfying performances were in the 100 metres hurdles and the high jump. She recorded the good time of 14.3 sec in the former and later cleared 1.60 metres (sft 3in) in the high jump, her personal best. After the contest was over, Mrs Beable was convinced she had broken the national mark. She had assumed that her national record was 4125 points and had been aiming to beat this. She succeeded in betterring this mark by 30 points, but it was not until some time later that o.cials pointed out that her

total was actually still three points short of the official record, set during the Commonwealth Games. Nevertheless, Mrs Beable Is now confident that she can improve on the record in the games. “The incentive will be there to improve,” she said.

Saturday’s pentathlon was the last Mrs Beable Intends to comSete in before the New Zealand antes, but she will appear in five events for Wellington in the Dbrrie Leslie contest against Canterbury at the Queen Elizabeth Park next Saturday, and will also compete in the pre-games meeting at the same venue on January 20. Jan Bishop (Technical) won the girls’ under 17 penthalon with a score of 2920 points. SENIOR 100 m hurdles.—B. Beable (Vic. U.), 14.3, 829, 1; S. Burnside (T.), 15.0, 748, 2. Shotput.—Beable, 14.42, 862, 1; Burnside. 9.09, 526. 2. Progress points: Beable 1691, Burnside 1274. High jump.—Beable, 1.60, 834, 1; Bumside, 1.45, 670, 2. Progress points: Beable 2525, Bumside 1944. Long jump.—Beable, 5.57, 810, 1; Bumside, 5.45, 782. 2. Progress points: Beable 3335, Bumside 2726. 200m.—Burnside. 25.1, 838, 1; Beable, 25.3, 820, 2. Total points: Beable 4155, Bumside 3564. UNDER 17 100 m hurdles. —M. Madden (A.) and S. Hennessy (TJ, 17.5, 513, equal 1; J. Bishop (T.) and R. Bain (Ash.), 17.7, 499, equal 3. Shotput.—Bishop, 10.36, 614, 1; Hennessy, 7.83. 433, 2; Madden, 7.54, 410, 3. Progress points: Bishop 1113, Hennessy 946, Madden 923. High jump.—Bishop, 1.47, 693, 1; A. Toneyclfffe (S.C.) and Hennessy, 1.41, 624, equal 2. Progress points: Bishop 1806, Hennessy 1570. Madden 1474. Long jump.—R. O’Connell (Ash.), 4.91, 655. 1; Bishop, 4.54, 563. 2; Toneycliffe, 4.48, 548. 3. Progress points: Bishop 2369, Hennessy 2200, Madden 2020. 200 m—Bain, 27.4, 655, 1; O’Connell (Ash.), 27.6, 640, 2; Hennessy and Fisher (Ash.), 28.4, 584, equal 3. Final placings: Bishop 2920, 1; Hennessy 2784, 2; Bain 2606, 3: Madden 2584, 4; O’Connell 2523, 5; Toneycliffe 2435, 6.