Special winter track meeting

Press, 20 August 1982, Page 28

Special winter track meeting

A special open inter-club track and field meeting will be held at Queen Elizabeth II Park tomorrow to provide much needed competition for members of the New Zealand team for the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and also those included in the national team for the secondary school match against Australia.

“Many athletes had. been concerned about entering into a major international event without any competition and so we decided to do something about it,” said the organiser, Mr Geoff Bailey, yesterday.

The New Zealand secondary school team leaves for Brisbane next week and the match with Australia will be held on August 29 and 30 on the same track which will be used for the Commonwealth Games a month later.

Among the Commonwealth Games athletes looking forward to a good “blow-out" on the track is the 1500 m runner, Michael Gilchrist, who will race over a mile against anybody who cares to turn 'up. Neil Lowsley, who will contest the 3000 m steeplechase at the Games, will race over this distance. His fellow team member, Peter Renner, has gone to Australia in search of early competition and he will have his first race for some months in Brisbane tomorrow.

Terry Lomax, the holder of the national high jump record, will race over 200 m, an event he also excels at; and Kieran McKee will take the unexpected opportunity to gain some pole vaulting under competitive conditions. Mike Ritchie, a former national champion, will also be there.