Robertson promises better things

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 6

Robertson promises better things

London New Zealand’s newest Olympic contender, Euan Robertson, has promised further improvement on the’ record Bmin 22.8 sec steeple-1 chase which won him a last-i minute place in the Games team.

“Now that I have the incentive of Olympic competition, I am sure I can get my time down even more," Robertson said from Stockholm.

Robertson, who is 28, has already improved by more than 6sec since he left New Zealand four weeks ago. He had still not heard officially yesterday that his run in Stockholm on Monday evening had gained him Olympic selection. He first heard the news when he telephoned his wife Charlotte at their home in the Dunedin hill suburb of Mornmgton yesterday afternoon. “It was a bad connection, and about all I heard was that I was in,” he said.

The other New Zealand athletes with Robertson were out at a barbecue. Robertson

left a note on the door of their coach, Arch Jelley. which said simply; “I am in." Mr Jelley, John Walker, and Dick Quax got Robertson 'out of bed when they saw I the note and held an impromptu celebration Robertson told the N.Z.PA. that he thought he had a very good chance of reaching the Olympic final. “My times here have put me in the top 10 of the world, so that should be good enough,” he said. “There is still room for improvement in my hurdling technique, and I will work on that between now and the Games ” Robertson said he would probably run only one more steeplechase before the Olympic heats.

M>n« rec,or «■ etching.—Les Mills, a former New Zealand s?°* put , an d discus throw chamPjon, has been appointed e 9 to f of track and field coax*)New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association.

p*J n *°, r *?• A - Parun.— D. A. , of New Zealand beat J. «“»> 6-4, in a second™UPd match of the men’s singles in the Irish Open lawn tennis championships at Dublin.