Canty heptathlon athlete, Karen Forbes, in nominations for Brisbane Games

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 21

Canty heptathlon athlete, Karen Forbes, in nominations for Brisbane Games

By

ROD DEW

The selection of the Canterbury heptathlon athlete, Karen Forbes, in the New Zealand track and field team of 33 nominated for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, is the climax to a year of considerable endeavour and great progress. Miss Forbes, who was a borderline case for selection after narrowly missing the selection standard on several occasions, clearly has the potential to acquit herself well at Brisbane and the selectors have wisely decided to give her the chance. She improved her heptathlon score by more than 400 points this season and achieved personal best performances in individual events in every heptathlon she contested. ‘1 was really hoping to get nominated,” she said yesterday. “This is an important stepping stone to getting in the Games team, and I am very pleased.” Miss Forbes will partner the New Zealand champion, Terry Genge (Waikato), in the Games heptathlon. However, there remains one more hurdle before any of those nominated can be sure of their places in the

team. The final composition will be decided by the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team selectors, although the sensible policy followed by the athletic selectors and the modest numbers involved make any eleventh-hour trimming unlikely. The full Games team will be announced next month. In addition to the heptathlon, Miss Forbes will run the 400 m relay. There were no shocks in the list of nominations, released on Saturday by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic but some fairly severe disappointments. Two Canterbury athletes who warranted careful consideration, Tom Birnie and Wayne Paul, missed out. Birnie’s omission is particularly disappointing because this leaves New Zealand, traditionally a strong force in distance events on the track, without. a representative in the feature 10,000 m at Brisbane. Birnie finished runner-up' to Dave Moorcroft (England) in the 5000 m international track series and ran within three seconds of the Games qualifying time for this distance. He later won the New Zealand 10,000/5000m track

double, a rare achievement in a Games year when athletes are inclined to concentrate an a single event. Had Birnie not doubled up, it is more than likely that he would have run a qualifying time in the 5000 m. In spite of this, the selectors decided this was not good enough and New Zealand’s top distance runner on the track will stay at home. The situation in the distance track events has been aggravated by the failure of two regular representatives, Rod Dixon and Dick Quax, to attempt qualifying times. The selectors had no opportunity to even consider them and for the first time in a decade the two former Olympic medallists are not included in the teams for a major Games. There remains the opportunity for late qualifying times, although Dixon and Quax seem more interested in road running and coaching in the United States. . Paul ran some outstanding 4W)m hurdles times in his bid for selection, twice breaking the Canterbury record, yet, in spite of surpassing the performances of the 1974 Commonwealth Games hurdles representative, Rendell Mclntosh, he was over-

looked. The hurdler who beat him in the national championship, Murray Cumberpatch (Auckland), also failed to win the confidence of the selectors. Apart from Miss Forbes, two other athletes who bad not bettered the qualifying standards were nominated. Janine Robson (Auckland), a surprise winner of the New Zealand women’s 4Mm hurdles title, and Peter Dyer, a former Canterbury athlete now based in Sydney, are included. Dyer was within a few points of qualifying in the decathlon and actually had the choice of competing for either New Zealand or Australia. He has bettered the Australian selection standard, which is slightly easier than the New Zealand one. Not everybody who achieved the standards were selected. Barbara Moore (Auckland) had qualified for the 3000 m, Tony Rogers (Waikato) had qualified for the 1500 m, and Paul Ballinger (Taranaki) had qualified in the marathon. But in each of these events there were three others faster so they missed out. John Walker (Auckland), still among New Zealand’s best medal hopes, has been

nominated for the 5000 m in addition to the 800 m and 1500 m. This comes as a minor surprise, because Walker has not really established himself as an international performer over 5000 m. If he decides later to concentrate on .the 800 m and 1500 m, as he has done previously, New Zealand will be left without a representative in the 5000 m, as well as the 104100 m. Walker has the ability to rise to great heights in the 5000 m, but he clearly prefers the shorter distances. In the 1500 m, Walker has two highly promising young partners to Michael Gilchrist (Canterbury) and Peter O*Donoghue (Northland). Both should benefit enormously from their first experience of a major Games. New Zealand’s nominated entry for the women’s 3000 m is to sharp contrast to the men’s distance events. Anne Audain (Auckland), who recently set a world record for the 5000 m, Lorraine Moller (Auckland), and Dianne Rodger (Waikato) can all be considered medal prospects. Canterbury is well represented, with seven nominated. They are Gilchrist (1500 m Miss Forbes (heptathlon), Don Greig (marathon), Peter Renner (3000 m steeplechase), Neil

Lowsley (3000 m steeplechase), Terry Lomax (high jump) and Kieran McKee (pole vault). _ The veteran of the nominated team is the 42-year-old New Zealand discus champion, Robin Tait (Auckland), who has competed in five previous Olympic or Commonwealth Games. The nominations are: Men Peter Dyer (decathlon). Mike Gilchrist (1500 m Peter O'Donoghue (1500 m John Walker (1500 m 5000 m. and 800 m), Chris Rogers (800 m Neil Lowsley (3000 m steeplechase), Peter Renner (3000 m steeplechase), Kevin Ryan (marathon). Garry Palmer (marathon). Don Greig (marathon. Mike Parker (30km walk). Kevin Taylor (30km walk), Steve Walsh (long jump), Terry Lomax (high jump), Roger Te Purri (high jump), Dave Hookway (javelin). Mike O’Rourke (javelin), Robin Tait (discus), Kieran McKee (pole vault), Tim Soper (110 m hurdles). Women Wendy Brown (100 m 20Om and 400 m relay), Kim Robertson (200 m 400 m, 400 m relay, 1600 m relay), Janine Robson (400 m hurdles. 400 m relay, 1600 m relay). Pam Hendren (long jump, 400 m relay), Noeline Hodgins (long jump 400 m relay), Terry Genge (heptathlon. 400 m hurdles, 100 m hurdles and 1600 m relay), Karen Forbes (heptathlon,‘4oom relay), Christine Hughes (800 m 1600 m relay), Jenny Overall (1500 m Lorraine Moller (1500 m 3000 m), Dianne Rodger (1500 m 3000 m), Anne Audain (3000 m Glenda Hughes (shotput).