Walker record to be ratified

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34048, 12 January 1976, Page 14

Walker record to be ratified

(From

ROBIN CHARTERIS.

London correspondent

of "The Press.")

The world mile mark ’set by the New Zealand (athlete, John Walker in the controversial “packed [race’’ at Stockholm last (August should be officij ally ratified as a world ; record within a fort- | night. Walker’s time of 3min 49.4 sec is expected to be included in a list of new world records to be announced by the International Amateur Athletics Federation later this month. The federation’s executive director, Mr John Holt, said yesterday: "We’ve got no doubts about it being a record: it is a bona fide world mark.” However, he added that the (federation was still "chasing ;a few more answers” and ( required some further inforI mation. “We do have this rule about unfair assistance to record breakers, and in view of the questions raised about possible pacing of Walker, we must get the opinions of

all council members of the federation.”

Mr Holt said that the Swedish Amateur Athletics Association had only submitted Walker’s time for consideration as a world record in mid-November. ■ “I’m quite sure the mark will go through all right,” he commented, hinting that moves could be afoot to amend or even remove the awkward pacing rule. “It may well be that someone on the council may propose to alter this rule about assistance to runners. It’s a very difficult rule to administer,” Mr Holt said.