Walker: 'no excuse

Press, 18 February 1980, Page 3

Walker: 'no excuse

NZPA Washington John Walker set a per.nal best indoor time of Jmin 55.2 s for the mile at Houston, Texas, on Saturay night, but had to ■ettle for third place in a race that left Eamonn Soghlan’s world record inact, and the Irishman himself way back in the Field. Billed as a challenge on Coghlan's record, the race ,vas won by the brilliant 2 3-y e a r-old American, Steve Scott, in 3:54.2, with his fellow countryman Don Paige second in the same time. Coghlan, who clocked 3:52.9 in winning in Los Angeles on Friday night — the world’s second fastest indoor time after his own 3:52.6 set a year ago —could do no better than seventh, and was outside the four-minute mark. “No excuses,” Walker said after the race. “I had recovered from my food poisoning and felt in good shape. I just couldn’t handle the bouncy track.” Walker’s last race on his brief American indoor campaign will be at San Diego next Saturday night, with Coghlan and the American stars again in the field, plus the Tanzanian, Filbert Bayi. Bayi returned to indoor racing with an impressive 3:54.7 behind Coghlan and Scott at Los Angeles, so it could be a close race. “I think I should run about the same time as tonight, or a little better,” Walker predicted.