Close tussle for javelin title

Press, 10 January 1981, Page 6

Close tussle for javelin title

I Richard Rzehak, of West Ger. many, emerged the victor in the Mod javelin after an enthralling tussle with two very experienced campaigners on the third day of the World Veteran Games yester-i day. Rzehak. Who has thrown fur-' ther than the world record of; 57m in training, had to settle for I 54.84 m, but it was enough to give! him the gold medal. The. runner-1 up was Jim Achurch, of Nambour, north of Brisbane, who was! the Commonwealth Games jave- i lin champion in 1954. His best 1 ' throw was 50.44 m. i Third place went to the former! New Zealand open champion, Ar-! thur Grayburn, who failed bv the! narrowest of margins to break; the 50m barrier. His best throw, on his first attempt, was 49.94 m. I Achurch, one of the most ac-| complished throwers in the field.! refused to be disappointed. “I

■ jam happy with my second, ali though 1 am not happy with the I, way my throws went out. They i were not flat enough.” A--paf- ' ocularly active sportsman, his ■; next assignment is at the AustraIlian veteran tennis champion- ■ ships in Melbourne on January ‘i!B. I The glamour M4O shot title ! i went to a powerful West Ger- ■ Iman, Horst Flecke, of Cologne • (with a best throw of 15.-38 m.. I “That was not a good throw,” (Flecke said later. “I do over' 16m ibut I couldn’t manage It today (because of muscle cramp.” H's (career best effort is an impresisive 17.37 m, achieved in 1958. ' The runner-up was Uri Sohar (of Israel, with 14.72 m. He was fifth in the event at Hanover two years ago and was well satisfied (with his improvement. :■ I Hasso Ebeling, of West Germany, won the bronze.