Hurdler runs two world-class times

Press, 2 August 1978, Page 38

Hurdler runs two world-class times

From

RON PALENSKI,

[, NZPA staff correspondent

Edmonton . The New Zealand hurdler,! Ross Pownal'., ran a New Zealand record in the 100 m hurdles and a world-class time for the 110 m hurdles in just half an hour at a pregames track and field meeting yesterday. Pownall, who has shot from outsider status to become a real medal chance, ran his specialist distance in 1330 s — a tenth of a sec-| ond faster than his own i New Zealand record which | he set in Auckland two years ago. He immediately checked the anomometer and! was told it was registering! less than Im per second, well inside the allowable maximum of 2m per second.

The New Zealand athletics manager, Mr Barry Hunt, was halfway through filling in a New Zealand record application form when Pownall’s elation turned to disappointment and frustration. . Canadian of r ”ia’ had read the gauge incorrectly and it was in fact registering 2.54 m per second — far too much wind for a record to be allowed.

Pownall was philosophical. “Well 1 was terribly disappointed but at least I know I’m still in the best form of my life, and the other hurdlers know that as well. I might have another g> at dipping undei 14s on Wednesday.” he said. It was the third time the 32-year-old Pownall had got below the magic 14s. Wind ruled out the other two times as well.

"As far as I’m concerned, Jess than 14 seconds is world class and I know I can do it,” Pownall said.

Ironically, Pownall’s increased speed is giving him rouble with his hurdling. He has no bother in the latter stages of C 110 m, but he is rocketing into the first two hurdles so fast he has to adjust his stride, and this could cost him valuable hundredths.

“I’m working on it,” he said, “but I can’t really complain about going too fast.” The steeplechaser, Euan Robertson, u no complaints about speed yesterday either. He and Howard Healey ran in the odd-dis-tant 20»-0m steeplechase and got a shock when a local runner took them round the first lap in a suicidal 645.

“I thought if those guys were going to kick it along, I might as well join them,” Robertson said. H not only Joined them, but beat them as well with a time of smin

,32.55, an exceptional time in the cold conditions.

Healey put in a 67s lap midway through which burned off England’s Tony Staynings and the Christchurch silver medallist John Davies, of Wales, then Robertson took over and coasted away to win by about 15m. Healey finished fourth. “I felt really good,” he said “That was the sort of -c.ee I wanted. I’m as ready for Sunday as I’ll ever be.” I The steeplechase heats are on Sunday (Edmonton time).

i The speedy New Zealand athlete Bevan Smith will give up sprinting competition 'once the Games end. i Smith, the former Wellington runner now based in I Auckland has had three days off training at Edmonton because of a hamstring injury. While he is waiting for the injury to heal the 1974 Games bronze medallist over 200 n. has been contemplating his future. “This injury last occurred a week before the start of the New Zealand champion* ships in February. So it’s come again at the same stage of my preparation for Edmonton.

“The injury is a small tear of the hamstring. It’s nothing serious and I’ll be back running later today. But the injury is caused through the explosiveness of sprinting. I’m not going to get anything more out of this event, so I’m turning to the longer running,” Smith told the NZPA.

The 28-year-old Smith said he would "be competing over 800 m for the first time at meetings in New Zealand next summer.

Smith, one of the more experienced athletes in the New Zealand team, said he was treating the 400 m event as his priority at Edmonton. He is also listed for the 200 m but he said he would first be testing his leg in the heat of the 400 m on Monday (N.Z. time). If he felt the sprinting might affect his 400 m performance then he would consider withdrawing from the 200 m. The New Plymouth car-

penter, Mike Fabish, is fashioning himself a reputation as the cyclist to watch in the Games.

Fabish, aged 24, on Monday cleaned up a pack of international riders at a track meeting in the southern Alberta city of Calgary and he combined with Eric M<"' izie on the tandem — New Zealand’s new Games pair — to set a local track record.

“He’s certainly one of our in-form cyclists,” the cycling manager Mr Gordon Sharrock, said yesterday. “He’s come on really well well since we left New Zealand.” Fabish won both the 1000 m sprint and a 2000 m Australian pursuit — in which four riders race against the clock, starting at different positions on the track.

The sprint final, in which Fabish beat the British champion, John Tudor, was after the pursuit, an energysapping event which Fabish does not normally attempt. Fabish won the sprint in the good time of 12.11 sec fcfr the last 200 m, and the pursuit in 2min 29.41 sec, which converts to a sub’ smin 4000 m pursuit — no mean achievement for a sprinter.

Fabish’s form has already been recognised by the cycling management at Edmonton, and they have put him on the tandem with Eric McKenzie for the Games in plac of the out-of-form Kevin McComb.

The road cyclists were also in action in southern Alberta on Monday, with Gary Bell at seventh the highest-placed in a 150 km circuit race.

Bell, Mr Sharrock said, was more aggressive than he normally is and whipped the pace along at the front. Blair Stockwell and Stephen Cox both punctured, Stockwell eventually having to withdraw when the downtube of his frame cracked — another S3OO bill for the cycling team.