THE MAN TO BEAT AT HAMILTON Erkkila sprints back into the limelight

Press, 2 March 1977, Page 16

THE MAN TO BEAT AT HAMILTON Erkkila sprints back into the limelight

Bv

ROD DEW

Complicated internal disorders and a major abdominal operation appeared to signal the end of the highly promising career of the Auckland sprinter. Steve Erkkila, three years ago. But he refused to bow to what his followers thought was the inevitable and quit.

He staged a major comeback in 1975, regaining the New Zealand 100 metres title he had first won two years earlier. Then he again disappeared from the New Zealand athletics scene, reappearing this summer in spectacular form. Now he has the distinction of being the topranked sprinter in the country in all events up to and including the 400 metres. He will clearly be the man to beat in the 100 and 400 metres in the New Zealand track and field championships, which begin at Hamilton on Friday, and if he elects to start, in the 200 metres he should also stand a grand chance of winning that as well.

A 24-year-old company buyer of Finnish extraction, Erkkila is only running at. all because of an incredible determination to overcome his adversity and a supreme faith in his own ability. As a result of his operation in 1973, he has an artificial sling pinned through his spine. This holds his bowel in place. At the time, not even his doctors were optimistic about his chances of returning to national competition. But if his recent form is any indication, his troubles are now well behind him. In the 100 metres, he has run the fastest time in the country of 10.4 sec, equalling the national resident record which has stood to the credit of Maurie Rae for the last 20 years. His chief challengers for thenational crown should be the brilliant junior, Gary Henley-Smith (Auckland), who has a best time this season of 10.5 sec, and Canterbury’s Grant Anderson, who has recorded 10.7 sec.

But below these three there is great depth of ability. Sharing fourth ranking, all on 10.8 sec, are 11 sprinters. Among them is the defending champion. Ross Pownail (Auckland), who cannot be discounted. In the 200 metres, Erkkila has run a best time of 21.1 sec, wind assisted. Behind him on 21.4 sec is the former Commonwealth and Olympic sprint representative, Bevan Smith (Wellington), also making a comeback after an enforced rest through injury. Henley-Smith is also a strong contender with a best time of 21.6 sec. The 400 metres championship promises to be a particularly enthralling contest. Phil Kear (Wellington), who wan the title last season, appears to have dropped out of the

running after a long stay at the top. His best time this season of 49.35ec leaves him seventeenth on the ranking list.

Earlier in the season it seemed as if the two Canterbury sprinters, Jeff Bailey and Richard Goldstone, would be the men to beat. Bailey was run-ner-up to Kear last season and Goldstone, the holder of the national junior title, headed the national rankings for some months with his fine run of 47.75ec.

However, others have since overtaken both. Bailey has yet to dip below 48sec and Goldstone. still in good form, has elected to concentrate on retaining the junior title at the exclusion of all else.

Erkkila is the fastest

with 47.1 sec tn his credit. But the sprinter to watch could be the. young Wellington junior. Peter Pearless, who ran the distance in 47 4sec during the recent. International meeting at. Nelson. Smith, who was regarded as New Zealand’s finest prospect over this distance until his career was interrupted by a leg injury, has recorded 47.65ec and the Wellington representative, Wally McCallum, has run 47.75ec. There will be interest, tod, in the women’s sprints. Morag McKechnie (Waikato), winner of the New Zealand secondary schools' sprint titles a few months ago, has already set a new national 100 metres record of 10.4 sec this season and looks capable of claiming the national title over this distance at. her first attempt. Strangely, the young sprinter who was the sensation of the sprints last season, Sue Jowett (Auckland), does not appear to be in such good shape this time in spite of her trip to the Montreal Olympics. The holder of both the 100 and 200 metres titles, she is ranked only fifth over 100 metres with a best time of U.7sec. Ahead of her are Wendy Brown (Northland), Kim Robertson (Auckland) and Christine Hughes (Waikato) as well as Miss McKechnie.

Canterbury’s Susan Burnside is also highly ranked with a best time of 11.8 sec. Miss Robertson leads the rankings in the 200 metres with her best time of 23.55ec, but this was achieved with wind assistance. Miss McKechnie has run 23.75ec and Miss Jowett a tenth of a second slower. Christine Hughes and a former champion, Gail Wooten (Waikato), are also likely to be prominent in the championship.

Miss Robertson has developed in impressive fashion as a 400 metres runner this season and looks capable of winning her first national title over this distance. She has a best time of 54.75ec, the fastest in the country this summer Close behind her is the young Wellington sprinter. Kun Freakley, still a junior. She has recorded 55sec.

The Canterbury hope, Joanna Burr, has yet to regain the outstanding form which won her a place in the team for the last Commonwealth Games, and is currently ranked sixth with a time of 56.25ec. The senior men’s middle distance events promise to have strong spectator appeal at Hamilton with the Olympic representatives, John Walker (Auckland) and Rod Dixon (Wellington). both entered for the 1500 metres. Neither holds a national title and Dixon, an Olympic bronze medallist at Munich, has yet to win his first national senior championship. Walker might also run in the 800 metres, an event which appears likely to be particularly hardfought. The Canterbury trio of Bruce Hunter, Trevor Cochrane and the defending champion, Rendell Mclntosh, must be in with a chance. But the man who heads the rankings at present is the young Aucklander, Dennis Norriss. He has recorded Imin 49sec. It could be that the the winner of the title will have to run appreciably faster than this. Dick Quax (Auckland) will be endeavouring to win the 5000 metres, and should not have too much difficulty.

There should be a keen tussle in the pole vault with the defending champion, Mike Ritchie (Canterbury), expecting a strong challenge from his Canterbury rival, Kieran McKee, and the young

Otago vaulter, Robert Lloyd. McKee actually beat Ritchie in the Canterbury championship, but Ritchie has a New Zealand record of 4.71 metres to his credit this season and is still setting the pace. Another Canterbury rep resentative who faces a strong challenge in the event he won last season is David Long. He won the 400 metres hurdles in impressive fashion, hut lost his Canterbury title, recently, to Grant Ander son. And then there are such good performers tins season as Chris Strange (Waikato). Graham Weavers (Waikato) and Mike French (Waikato) to worry about. Strange his recorded 52.65ec this season Long's best so far is 54.35ec. Jan Bishop (Canterbury) must start as the favourite to win the women’s javelin title for the second successive season and Vai Young (Canterbury ) seems certain to win her twentyninth New Zealand title in the discus.