Walker 'ran out of steam’

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 6

Walker 'ran out of steam’

NZPA staff correspondent I London ; A below par John Walker • yesterday prepared to join , the rest of the Oceania team in Dusseldorf not too happy , with his preparations for next week-end’s athletic World Cup. Walker, approaching the end of another long European campaign, was beaten over a mile in West Berlin on Saturday night — his second loss in as many races. “I just ran out of steam going down the straight again,” Walker told the NZPA. “I’m now going to rest a couple of days and then try and get some training in. If I can’t get some good mileage behind me, I’m not going to do any good in Dusseldorf.” An ill Walker — he is still recovering from the diarrhoea

he had in Zurich three days ago — is still a considerable threat though. He ran 3min 55.1 sec behind the West German, Karl Fleschens (3min 54.75ec) on Saturday night. Dick Quax finished second in his race, this time over 10,00 metres, to the Kenyan John Wgeno. Quax’s time was 28min Isec, behind Wgeno’s 27min 55sec. Several other New Zealanders were also in action in West Berlin but all were unsuccessful except for the Dunedin steeplechaser, Ewan Robertson. He finished ninth in Walker’s race and was not timed. Bur the eighth runner recorded 3min 38.5 sec, just ahead of Robertson, and Walker was sure his teammate had broken four minutes for the mile for the first time.