Cheater frustrated

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 14

Cheater frustrated

By

RON PALENSKI

NZPA staff corres. Montreal

The New Zealand hammer thrower, Murray Cheater’s failure to qualify for the Olympic final today may have cost him more than just the chance of a medal. Cheater failed three times to surpass the Olympic qualifying standard of 69 metre's on the fourth day of the Games track and field programme yesterday and left the arena a disappointed man. The qualifying standard was two metres less than his own New Zealand record of 71.20 m and was also a distance he regularly tops in training. “It’s bloody frustrating to be put out of the competition when you know you can throw much better,’’ Cheater said. He had been offered an expenses paid trip to Europe after the Games if he made the final. Cheater, a 28-year-old engineer from Auckland, said he had planned to take advantage of the offer and spend about a year in Britain and Europe improving on his throwing. “It’s too frustrating training myself and having no competition in New Zealand,” he said. “I need to live and compete in Europe with the world’s best if I’m to improve.” Cheater said he expected the offer for the trip would now be dropped. “I’ll have to talk to the people who made the offer and see if I can still go,” he said. “I don’t even know whether I can afford to do it on my own.” The Games competition ended two months of frustration for Cheater. New Zealand’s best-ever hammer thrower. He left New Zealand fresh and with his new record, confidently expecting to improve on it in Scandinavia, where he was touring with other New Zealand athletes. He could not better 66m in Helsinki, the first meeting. Hammer throwers were barred from Oslo and in Stockholm he again could not perform up to his best. In Zurich, shortly before leaving for Montreal, Cheater threw 68m in a competition and though his form was back. “I’ve been doing everything right,” he said. “Technicallv there are no faults, but the hammer’s just not going out far enough.” Cheater threw 66.30 m and 67.38 m on his first two attempts yesterday, but overstepped the circle on the third and the throw was not allowed. It was still not beyond the qualifying distance, however. When Cheater began that crucial third throw. Diane Jones, of Canada, was also beginning her run-up in the dong jump section of the pentathlon. The crowd of 60.000 roared for the Canadian girl, and interrupted Cheater’s concentration. “It put me off,” Cheater said, “but if you’re throwing ■ well you throw well jegardless of interruptions."

New Zealand’s other competitor yesterday was sprinter Sue Jowett, who got through the first round of the 200 metres with a second place in her heat, but she was eliminated in the second round. It was her first 200 metres in Montreal. In the sec.ond race, Miss Jowett was running against the 100 metres gold medallist, Annegret Richter, of West Germany, and finished last. “I'm still only 19,” she said, “so I’ve got a few years to go yet. I’m too young to be strong enough over 200.” The Commonwealth champion, Don Quarrie, of Jamaica, won the 200 metres gold medal yesterday after his chief rival, the 100 m champion, Hasely Crawford, of Trinidad, pulled up with a leg injury after 60 metres. Quarrie, who had run second in the 100 m behind Crawford, won by a metre from Millard Hampton, of the United States, with the Other American finalist, Dwayne Evans, a close third. Quarrie’s winning time was 20.23 seconds, the fastest time of the Games, but well short of American Tommy Smith’s Olympic and world record of 19.83 set in 1968. While Quarrie, Hampton and Evans were battling out the finish, Crawford was lying in mental and physical anguish 130 metres behind them. Crawford was up with the leaders rounding the bend when he suddenly clasped his thigh and pulled up. He

leaped into the air, throwing out his arms in anger at his misfortune then sank to the track and lay down. Siegrun Siegl, of East Germany, won the women’s pentathlon gold medal. Christine Liser, also of East Germany, won the silver and Burglinde Pollak made it an East German sweep to wip the bronze. Miklos Nemeth, of Hungary, opened the Olympic men’s javelin final in brilliant fashion yesterday when he set a world record with his initial throw. Nemeth opened up with a prodigious effort of 94.58 metres (310 ft 4in) to eclipse the previous mark of 94.08 m set by a West German, Klaus Wolfermann. three years ago. The throw gave his rivals an impossible target and he took the gold. Hanou Siitonen (Finland), won the silver medal and Gheorghe Megelea, of Rumania, the br.onze.