Top walker looking for better performances

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 22

Top walker looking for better performances

By

ROD DEW

Now back in Christchurch after spending three months in Europe, the Commonwealth Games road walker, Graham Scatter, is not at all happy with what he achieved while he was away. A personal best time of 12min 5.5 s over 3000 m in Italy and a 5000 m in 20min 46s — an improvement of Imin 12.8 s on his own New Zealand record — at another meeting in the same country provided him with little satisfaction. His aim had been to better the Moscow Olympic standard of 87min for the 20km road walk, but he had to return to New Zealand with this object unfulfilled. He had only one 20km race scheduled in Europe, and that was the world championship in West Germany. Unfortunately, he suffered stomach problems in the race and finished with his “guts in knots” in the modest time of 93min. “It must have been something I ate, although I know that is not a very satisfactory explanation,” he said. “I know I could

have broken the qualifying time, but I blew it. Now I realise I made a mistake competing in only one 20km race. 1 should have gone to Europe earlier, stayed longer, and com-

peted in at least one 20km race before the world championship.” One of the problems was that after the world championship he had no

chance to race over the distance because the season had virtually, ended. He made arrangements to compete over 20km in a 3hr race in England a short while after the world championship. He was making good time before his hopes were shattered by careless officials. “They-were supposed to direct me off the course to the finish of the 20km. The didn’t, and I kept going. They later estimated my time at 89min 12s, but it was completely unofficial.” Seatter describes the trip as “bloody frustrating. I even lost my tape deck on the way home.” However, he has not given up hope of achieving the Olympic qualifying standard, which he describes as tough but realistic. He is taking a short rest from hard training before starting a buildup for the New Zealand 20km championship at Auckland on March 1. He is also making plans to contest the Australian 20km

championship in Canberra on March 22. “It might be difficult to break the time in the New Zealand championship because of lack of competition. My chances will be a bit better in Australia. The important thing now is to give myself a chance to do the time. My best chance was in the world championship, but that is over. I am confident I can do it, but it is not going to be easy.” Seatter will at least have more incentive to do well this summer than before. The British 3000 m, ]o,ooom and 35,000 m walking champion, Roger Mills, is coming to New Zealand for the, international series in January. In New Zealand, he will compete in a series of mile walks. Seatter, who is the top track walker in the country, expects to race against Mills at each of the four international meetings. That, he believes, will: be the start of the serious racing leading to the New Zealand championship — and a qualifying time for Moscow.