Bourke’s football warm-up

Press, 9 October 1982, Page 18

Bourke’s football warm-up

NZPA Brisbane Peter Bourke agreed yesterday that kicking a football round the Brisbane Cricket Ground on Wednesday was probably not the right way to prepare to win .a gold medal for Australia in the 800 metres at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. “My coach, Franz Stamfl, would probably drop-kick me if he had known about it,” said the 24-year-old Melbourne clerk. But Bourke went on to win the prestigious event from a strong field which included the New Zealand champion,

John Walker. “The race went completely to plan and the Brisbane crowd were just fantastic,” Bourke said. “The roar as I came around the bend into the straight was just deafening and I want to thank everyone who cheered me on.” -The 800 metres at the Games had received an early setback for organisers when England’s glamour runners, Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe, withdrew because of injury and illness. But Thursday’s race was a major highlight in a programme packed with Austra-

lian victories. Bourke had gone to the Brisbane Cricket Ground to see Carlton play Richmond in a demonstration Australian Rules match, held in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games. “I didn’t go there to set any drop-kicking records but I don’t think Franz would have been too happy,” Bourke grinned. The strongly built Australian was quickly out of the blocks when the starter’s gun went, however, -as he strove to get an early edge over Walker and Kenya’s James Maina Boi, a former world

star struggling to find his best form. Bourke ran smoothly throughout and was never more than two from the leader.. The Scotsman. Paul Forbes, attempted to break clear at the start of the second lap but Bourke refused to let the race be stolen. Then Maina Boi in a gutsy performance hit the front as the bunched field of nine rounded the final bend, but with the crowd roaring Bourke powered his way to the line and a gold medal for his country.