Top triple jumper

Press, 21 January 1982, Page 15

Top triple jumper

A triple jump has been added to the programme on Saturday at the request of the talented American, Willie Banks, who was originallyrestricting his activity to the long jump. This has been received with enthusiasm because Banks, a 25-year-old law student at the University of California, is secondranked in the world in this event.

His best distance of 17.56 m (57ft 7‘ain) is the United States record and a performance bettered only by Joao Oliverira in the high altitude of Mexico City in 1975. Oliverira’s world record stands at 17.89 m. Banks wants to break the record at sea level. “I need just a little more strength. I know 1 can do it,” he said.

In the long jump, Banks also starts as the man to beat, although he can expect strong competition from the outstanding Australian. Gary Honey. Banks has a best of B.llm. An identical leap carried Honey to second place in the World Cup long jump in Rome in September. The outstanding form of the New Zealand javelin champion, Mike O’Rourke, provides hope of a New

Zealand victory in this event. O’Rourke set a new Australian record of 87.62 m in Sydney on Monday and that is not far short of his Commonwealth record of 89.58 m.

O’Rourke, who is verykeen to do well in front of New Zealand spectators, is extremely pleased with his form and if conditions are good might nudge the national record on Saturday. His chief rival is likely to be Kenth Eldebrink, of Sweden, who had a best distance last year of 90.02 m.

Another Swede, Jan-Olof Damgren, is capable of throwing in excess of 83m.

Last but by no means least is the pole vault, an event brimming with talent. Keith Stock (Britain), Kimmo Pallonen, Rauli Pudas, and Pekka Pekkala (all Finland) are all world-class vaulters. Stock cleared 5.65 m last year and Pudas, who was an Olympic finalist, has a best of 5.56 m.

They could provide the incentive which the top NewZealand vaulters, Kieran McKee, Mike Ritchie and Derek McKee, need to achieve qualifying heights for the Brisbane Games.