Marathon nominees after Boston event

Press, 13 April 1984, Page 36

Marathon nominees after Boston event

PA Wellington The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association management committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to nominate marathon runners for the Los Angeles Olympic Games team. Controversy has surrounded the marathon runners since the deadline for qualifying was extended to take in the Boston marathon which will be run on Tuesday morning (N.Z. time). The N.Z.A.A.A. announced their nominations in all other events last week. In the women’s marathon Mary O’Connor, Glenys Quick and Ann Audain have already run under the games qualifying time, but Lorraine Moller and Allison Roe are* using the Boston event as a last-ditch effort to qualify. In the men’s event Derek

Froude and Rod Dixon have qualified but New Plymouth’s Paul Ballinger will be attempting the time at Boston. With only three athletes allowed in each event from one country, the selectors will be in a difficult position should Moller and Roe beat the qualifying time. Another New Zealand athlete, Kevin Ryan, now resident in Boston, has asked for an extension until the London marathon in May. Ryan had a piece of bone taken out of a knee in February and though back in training, and progressing well, would not be fit enough to run in the Boston event. Should Ballinger fail to qualify at Boston the door may be open for a late bid by Ryan in London.

The N.Z.A.A.A. secretary, Barry Meyers, said yesterday that the management commitee had voted for the

special meeting to receive nominations when they met last week. • Christchurch’s Commonwealth Games marathon representative, Don Greig, has given up trying for Olympic selection. Both he and another Christchurch hopeful, Margaret Walker, competed in the Nike Canberra marathon last week-end, but both failed to break the New Zealand qualifying times. Greig finished seventh in 2hr 20min 265, well outside his personal best and over four minutes behind the winner, Grenville Wood (Australia), who recorded 2:15:50. Greig said on his return to Christchurch that he may have peaked too soon and did not feel right on the day. He will not compete in any more marathons for several months _____