Bayi tracked down

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 4

Bayi tracked down

NZPA staff correspondent London Tanzania's elusive world 1500 m record-holder. Filbert Bayi. is one of a number of top African runners named to contest a toplevel 5000 m race against two New Zealanders. Rod Dixon and Dick Quax, in London on Sunday (N.Z. time i. It will be the first time Bayi has run against any of the New Zealand “Flying Kiwi” trio of Dixon. Quax. and John Walker since 1975—with hoped-for clashes in the Montreal Olympics and since ruled out first i by the African boycott of the j Olympics and then by a com- | bination of the lingering after- | math of the anti-New Zealand boycott and differing competition schedules. Apart from Bayi, the 5000 m

event in the Amateur Athletif i Association championships at Crystal Palace has attracted i many of the other top Africans the New Zealanders missed at 1 Montreal, including the Kenyans • Jos Kometo, Wilson Waigwa, and d possibly the brilliant Henry cßono—who has already taker . Quax’s 5000 m world record this year, as well as setting new i I world marks for the 10.000 m and .• the 3000 m steeplechase. Eng f land’s Nick Rose is also a very r i strong competitor. r The race will be the first ov ci - his specialist distance for Dixon I who has been running miles and j 1500 m races since arriving in ■ Europe some weeks ago for his - pre-Commonwealth Games pre I paration. and it will be tile fi'st ■ race of any sort in three months | for Quax. who has been training i at high altitude in Colorado