Cuff recovers well

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 36

Cuff recovers well

By

ROD DEW,

from Brisbane

An 80km/h crash while training at the Chandler Velodrome on Saturday has left the tough New Zealand Commonwealth Games cyclist. Anthony Cuff, bruised, battered but unbowed.

Yesterday, much to the surprise of'all who saw him fall. Cuff was back in the saddle, his arms swathed in bandages and his legs bearing evidence of severe friction burns.

A 25-year-old plumber from. Palmerston North. Cuff blamed himself for the accident, which happened while he was’ riding behind a pacing motor-cycle. "The joker riding the bike didn't know what he was doing,” he said afterwards. Cuff's wheels slid out from under him and in a split second he was sliding along the track. He cannoned into ■the motor-cycle before coming to a halt. Later, he passed it off as "nothing to worry about. It is not the first time I have had a crash like this. The bike is okay.” Cuff will ride in the 1000 m time trial and the 4000 m team pursuit in the Games.’

Meanwhile, the New Zealand 1500 m track athlete. Jenny Overall, is now hoping

to make up for lost time after recovering from a leg injury. She ran in two 600 m races in the pre-Games meeting on Saturday, and is running freely once again.

Not so fortunate is the young Waikato 800 m specialist. Chris Rogers, who has a stress fracture in a foot and is definitely out of the Games. However, he will stay on in Brisbane with the team.

■ New Zealand's Anne Audairi showed she was on target for track success when she broke her own national 1500 m record at the pre-Games meeting. The time of 4min 10.03 s will not erase her 4min 10.07 s from the record book, how’ever, because she ran an extra 300 m solo : after a 1200 m race, won by a 14-year-old Kenyan unknown, Justina Chepchircher:

Both Audain and Lorraine Moller wanted to 'run the 1500 m at the meet but the organisers refused to change from the odd distance.

Apart from some of the weight-lifters and New Zealand’s 1500 m gold medal hope. John Walker, the New Zealand team is now together in the Games Village. Walker is expected on Wednesday.