Boit wins 800 metres

Press, 20 August 1976, Page 4

Boit wins 800 metres

NZPA-Reuter Zurich Mike Boit, of Kenya, raced at the same meeting as New Zealand’s three track stars in a surprising about-face in Zurich yesterday. There was doubt that Boit would turn up for the meeting, in view of Kenya’s boycott of the Olympic Game’s over New Zealand, but he ran in the 800 metres and won. The Kenyan surged to the front over the last half-lap, beating the Olympic silver medallist, Ivo van Damme, of Belgium, into second place. He clocked an excellent time of Imin. 43.905ec, without appearing to be too hard pressed by a final challenge from the Belgian. Mr Res Bnigger, president of the Zurich Athletic Club which organised the starstudded meeting — at which 14 Olympic gold medallists took part — said he pleaded with the Kenyan Athletic Association in a series of messages to allow Boit to run so as not to disappoint Swiss spectators. In Nairobi, Mr Isaac Lugonzo, chairman of the Kenya National Sports Council, said yesterday that the council would meet soon to decide on action to take against Boit for competing in an athletics meeting in which New Zealand competitors also took part.

i "The council views Bolt’s participation in the Zurich event very seriously, as we had advised him to refrain from taking part in any competitions with New Zealanders until further notice.” said the council’s secretary (Mr James Tirop). Last week the K.N.S.C. ordered Boit out of an athletics meeting in Stockholm because New Zealanders were competing. New Zealanders were prominent in other events. The Olympic champion, John Walker, won the 1500 metres in 3min. 37.805ec, moving swiftly up to the front of the field" of 11 half-way through the last lap and beating off a late threat by Thomas Wessinghage, of West Germany. Rod Dixon (N.Z.) was third in 3:38.91. And New Zealand’s Dick Quax and Carlos Lopes, of Portugal, both Olympic silver medallists, fought a tight duel in the 5000 metres, alternately wresting the lead from each other.

Quax. second over the distance at Montreal, made his final effort in the back straight of the last lap and gradually pulled away from Lopes, runner-up in the Olympic 10,000, to win with room to spare in 13min. 24,075ec.